


Gold Dragon's new Silver Gem

by scorched_biscuit



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - I Am Dragon Fusion, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Blood and Gore, F/F, F/M, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Randomness, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26354785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorched_biscuit/pseuds/scorched_biscuit
Summary: A drunken bounty hunter named Mercury Black has to pay his debts to Roman Torchwick before a wedding. This wouldn't be much of a problem if he knew where he was going. He thought he wouldn't make it, that was till something or someone sticked their hand out to help. Thinking the deed was said and done, Mercury planned to thank his saviour and leave, than he finds himself unable to leave. Seems his saviour turned out to be a mythological hybrid who is really clingy. He will have to get used to having a Dragonlady as a girlfriend. He better have some flame proof oil for this.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Sun Wukong, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Mercury Black/Yang Xiao Long, Neopolitan/Roman Torchwick, Raven Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 12
Kudos: 11





	1. Clawing out of it One way or Another

**Author's Note:**

> Ooooohhh man!
> 
> This'a be a doozy. You might be thinking to yourself: wait isn't there already a Dragon hybrid Yang x Mercury AU story? And you are right. I just thought it was such a good idea I give it a shot. Now knowing little to nothing about writing and at the same time daydreaming Gauntlets and Greaves for what seems to be a half a year may or may not be helpful when telling such a story, so this is gonna be one of those bizarre stories you find in this forum, but I hope I can focus on character development and more specifically building a convincing romance that doesn't feel forced. A slow burn mind you. With introductions out of the way, I bid you guys good luck at reading my first GnG story.

"There's a old tale, one our people have passed down for centuries. Once, a traveler came to these mountains to slay a sun dragon, one whose scales glistened more than any gold, yet the woman got lost. She was attacked by the beasts of the night, but was saved by the very thing she came after. The Dragon started into her heart to judge her, and let her in. As much as she tried to hide it, she gave up trying to kill the Dragon, and grew close to it. The Dragon only asked of her to be safe on her trip back, and when she left she felt the cold of the night. She returned to the great creature to feel the warmth of the sun again, and the two would eventually fall for each other. Months passed and a abomination was born. The mother couldn't love her own daughter, and left the Dragon heartbroken. The great beast took It's sorrow and lashed out in a war against mankind's enemies. The Grimm would be nearly wiped out, but a witch struck the benevolent beast down. A fairy took the Dragin away and tended to the beast, yet what it needed was time to move on from It's beloved. Eventually the fairy helped the Dragon out of It's depression and gave it a second chance in love. The fairy birthed it a second daughter, which the Dragon loved like the first. His daughter now had someone to be with, a sibling and a mother. One day the Fairy unfortunately fell to poisoning, and the Dragon was never seen again after that. Some say his daughters still remain in their home, waiting for their father to wake up and help the lands it once protected, but until then, they turn a cold shoulder to the world."

A silverhead hears that story be told to a bunch of children. "Man this "then" and this "that", and this "there". Don't they ever get tired of telling that story?" The silverhead asked his colleague. The mint haired girl shakes her head. "It's not just a story. It's like a clever warning not to enter the woods." The girl said. "What? Ya think two half dragons are gonna kick me out Em?" The silverhead asked. "Pft. They might as soon as you blabber your mouth Merc. You are still looking for a job?" Emerald asked him. "Yeah....I heard there's a village past the woods with loads of gigs. They might help me pay my bar tab." Mercury joked. A small colorswirl haired woman approached with a small slab. Mercury begrudgely pays her some of what he owes. "I'm a little dry Neo. Tell Roman to keep waiting till I get a proper paycheck." Mercury said. "That being?" A ginger haired man stepped in next to Neo. "Till I get some high paying gig. I know you like to be paid by the moment I even sniff a coin, but you know money don't grow on trees Roman. Besides, ya got a patron that's willing to get more product if you keep em coming. Meaning more money I owe ya." Mercury said. "You know we really need to stop discussing this little problem of yours. This dry season is only cuz you don't bother getting a job. You're too heart broken after some gal left ya for a merchant." Roman picked on Mercury. Mercury glares a bit at the man. "Okay. Okay. I'll chop the debt a bit if you don't try to kill me in front of my fiance." Roman said. "Fiance?" Emerald asked, than Neo flashed her bracelet. "An engagement bracelet! Oooh! Neo! I'm so happy for you!" Emerald went to hug her small friend, who returned the favour. "Congrats. Consider the wedding gift the rest of my debt when I get some coins." Mercury chugged the last of his ale. "Where ya going stilts?" Roman asked. "Imma get my job! Y'all better save me a seat at that wedding." Mercury barks as he slammed the door. "You bet he's just gonna cry in the stales?" Emerald asked. Neo placed some copper coins as her response. Emerald did the same.

Mercury was now walking pass the village, saying his farewells out loud like a drunk mad lad. He kept passing small huts to the gates out of the village and into a dirt road, where a dark forest awaits. He however, was to drunk to be scared. If anything his drunken stuber might cause him to be more stupid passing into the woods. The mass alignment of pine, oak, and mahogany trees were starting to make him loose direction. He pulled out a map to see he was on the right path. Lucky for him, he was, for about 15 minutes. When passing the river, a gust of wind took his map away. Mercury would shout in vain when his map got soaked beyond repair. "Damn! So much for any insight on direction." Mercury states as he kept traveling the woods. He unpacked his bag for a break as he starts a fire, prepping to cook some fish he had with him. He would occasionally hear the shooting of owls or the howl of wolves, none being alarming as he was dead center in the woods. What he didn't expect were the sound of footprints close in the bushes, making him draw his dagger out. "Hello? Who goes there?!" Mercury shouts. A squirrel would come out with some acorns. "Huh. A little hefty one for snapping a branch like that. I thought you were people." Mercury jokes a bit. The squirrel was already gone. "Well....guess I should keep going."

Unbenoyence to him, he was indeed followed. A certain person was observing the stranger in the woods, wondering why he was there. "Sis? Sis!" A voice whispered. The person snapped her head back to see her kin calling her out. "Ruby? What are you doing here?! It's nightfall!" The blonde woman whispered back when the redhead caught up and sat beside her. "I should say the same to you ! Yang, you know we can't be seen by travelers!" Ruby whispered back. "Sorry. I just don't know why he's traveling so late. Maybe we can ask him." Yang inquired softly. "Oh yeah. Great plan. Ask the lone traveler where he's going. I'm sure you two lizard brains can talk casually with a human." A third member of the group arrived, one being a snooty ice fairy. "Great. The Schnee bestows us her agitative presence." Yang mummered. "What was that meathead?" Weiss asked. "Weiss. Now is not the time for this." Ruby said.

Mercury could faintly hear wind blowing, or at least he thought it was wind, as he shrugged it off and decided to keep pushing, lighting a torch to see through the place. "Guys! He's going!" Yang snaps at them in a whisper. "Good. Less trouble for the three of us." Weiss remarked. "Oh c'mon Schnee. Where's your sense of wonder?" Yang asked. "Back at my place, in my room, written on text. Ruby. Yang. Let's just head back." Weiss mustered without any sass, or at least tried. "Okay Weiss. We will. Just as soon as Yang gets to chat with her boy toy." Ruby teased. Yang blushes a bit. "He's not a boy toy Ruby!" Yang whispered back nervous. Mercury was already halfway out. "Ah. The north star is to the left of me, that means I'm heading....east? Yeah, east!" Mercury thinks to himself now that he was sober. He continues knowing he's heading east, the quickest way out. Mercury could occasionally hear twigs snapping, but he thought it was some night critters.

The three girls would later be accompanied by a fourth member. "Hey Blake!" Yang whispered. "Yang. What are you doing here so early? It's midnight." Blake asked. "I mean you're up. Ruby's up. Weiss is up. Suprising I know. We're all up. So let's just...ask questions later?" Yang proposed. "Ruby. Yang hiding things. Explain." Blake asked. "Yang is stalking someone. Maybe lunch?" Ruby asked. "Is it a boy?! A girl?! How you think they taste with ranch?" Blake pondered. She was in fact a tiger spirit, one who eats thieves and murderers. "Uhh...I think he's a little...too lean if you get my drift. He's about...I say 5'11". Very thin. I think silver hair. You seen him?" Yang asked. "Oh. You're chasing that thing. Yeah I seen him. He's not even appetizing. You guys should really get better game." Blake rolled her eyes to the idea all three were hunting one thin man. "We're not gonna eat him. Just...ask where he's going." Yang replied. "Seriously?" Blake asked. "Yep! Fairy's honor." Ruby spoke up. "Hmmm...okay. I'll help, but promise you'll keep hidden. Last time you asked someone I had to eat him. I mean I'm not complaining, but I rather eat something worth while." Blake said yawning. "Great!" Yang said. The four were now going to track down this stranger in the woods.

Mercury just kept pushing forward through the woodlands in a semi sober state, trying to leave. He thought he was at the end of it, now sprinting forward. "Yez! I did It!" Mercury exclaimed, only to see the one thing no one wanted to ever see in 11pm. Grimm. The horrific, blood thirsty, abnormalities of the world. The things made from the pitch blackness of the universe. The one he saw was a Ursla Grimm. "Shit." Mercury whispered to himself as he ducked under a trampled log. The Ursla would wonder close to Mercury, sniffing for the faint smell of booze he drank. Mercury may have not practiced religion so much as Emerald, but he was praying that his ass be spared and not served on a wooden platter. The Ursla would pass him without noticing him after 4 minutes of searching. Mercury huffed in relief. "Ah....thank God. Okay..." Mercury huffed before he stepped on a pretty loud branch, getting the Ursla's attention. "No! No! No! No no no no! Shit!" Mercury would already start sprinting after hearing the Ursla roar.

Mercury may be able to outrun his friends, but he knew damn well he couldn't outrun a Ursla uphill. Ursla Grimm being based on the bear can run uphill rather easy with their strong arms. The same arma they use to whack and slash their prey around like meatbags. The same arms that would tear into Mercury if he didn't stop running. Mercury kept shouting profanities to himself as he kept running. He than hears a slashing sound, expecting to be hit by something, accepting that the only thing he left in the world was a debt he couldn't pay. But the Grimm Reaper never came for him, no, it seemed that when Mercury opened his eyes, a mane of gold hair stood in front of him, a dead Urlsa now on the ground, and now the figure would be facing him, staring down with lilac orbs.


	2. Getting the hang of Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally want to give credit to the original storyteller of the Dragon Hybrid Yang x Mercury AU, that being the Dragon Conqueror's author RedTeamShark, who has still been amazing! I serious hope that there's enough room for two Dragon Hybrid Yang AU's. This also is a chapter that's mostly getting the main group of 5 interact with each other before the world building chapter, with a suprise character. Hope this is a decent follow up.

"Uhhhhhhhh....hi?" Mercury had no idea who the lady was. To him he sees a very busty, brave woman. He looks up at her lilac orbs, ones that would be staring back into his eyes with curiousity. The lady would crouch down to level her eyes with hers. Mercury would be caught in suprise when he studied her face. It seemed her facial features were similar to a lady his age, but he can tell something was off. For one the eyes were glowing with a low red color if he really paid attention, as if she had the sun in her eyes. Her nose while a normal shape curved a bit up, making it a bit more pointy. Her jaw and cheek were covered with a thin layer of transparent scales, which were nothing to be totally freaked out about. He was too focus still recollecting himself after seeing her tear a Ursla Grimm a new asshole and them some. He also noted her ears were rather pointy, like if she came from a race of elves. Mercury also noticed something odd, her left arm, was covered entirely with scales. Not just any scales, gold ones. Both her hands were clawed with obsidian claws sure, but her left forearm was covered in these golden scales, as if decorated by a jeweler for a wedding present. Mercury couldn't help but think it was entrancing. He knew what it was like not to have a entirely human part of the body, but he never thought he meet someone who had something like hers. He looks back to her eyes to see she's also spectating him.

Yang continues to inspect him as he did his inspecting, both currently leveling up the other person. She noticed his steel eyes. She never seen any peepers that reminded her of a sword, and she found his eyes very entrancing. She later inspected his face, one with a smooth jaw, a somewhat large nose, and topped with a murky gray nest that was his hair. She later went below the waist to inspect the source of the squeaking, seeing two metal stilts. She never knew people could walk on peoces of metal. She even lifted them up for futhur inspection.

  
"Like what you see?" Mercury asked. Yang was silent while inspecting them. That was till she started asking questions. "Are these scales?" Yang asked. "Eheh...not quite. Though I gotta admit, they're pretty fair. Not as fair as yours, but you know, fair enough." Mercury said awkwardly. He had no idea she was able to speak. Yang would nod and still inspect them. "Hey. Eyes above the knee is a no go." Mercury said, which made her stop. She later sets them down. "Can you walk?" Yang asked. Mercury would stand after she gave him some space. "I was able to run from an Ursla, so yeah. I think I can walk." Mercury notes.

  
Yang swings her tail around. The tail was also covered by the same gold scales, and topped and tipped with some sunlight hair. The same color as her hair. The tail than pulls him close enough for her for her to put him on her shoulder. "Good. You'll do plenty of that another time." Yang chirped. "W-wait! I gotta head back to the village!" Mercury said.

  
"Rubes! Blake! Weiss! I found him!" Yang shouts, as his pleas fell on deaf ears. Ruby pops out with their two friends. "Woah!!! More dragon babies and fairies! I must've been drugged by Neo again. I knew it I should've asked before drinking." Mercury notes to himself. "Uh Yang? What are you doing with him?" Blake asked. "Yeah Blondie. We all wanna know." Mercury pleas. "He's coming with me." Yang replied. 

  
"He is?!?!" The three asked.

  
"I am?!?!" Mercury asked as well.

  
"Yep. He saw us, and there's no chance he can go to any village. He might rat us out." Yang made the excuse right out of the bat. "I won't! I promise! Even if I did, they won't believe a drunk! C'mon Blondie! I gotta get a job soon! I have places to be, people to see and make their lives a bit more fun, and things to do or screw!" Mercury pleas with the dragon hybrid. "Oh you can do that and more with us." Yang said. "Yang. He is not some stray that you can pick up from the woods and bring home." Weiss objects. "I take offence to that on one hand, but on the other I do need to go to a village, so I let that slide." Mercury notes. "Yang, we don't need to do this." Ruby notes. "Not to worry sis, I promise to keep this stray safe." Yang notes. "If this backfires, I will eat him." Blake notes. Mercury makes a mental note not to be left alone with Blake. Yang smirks a bit. "Alright gals! Let's go!" Yang said as the four leap up and fly off. 

  
Mercury holds onto her for fear life, never being above 50 feet less 500 feet above the ground. He can see the forest in a new light, seeing it more like a sea of leaves than a large collection of trees and bushes. The wind brushing them all felt somewhat refreshing within the summer night. He takes a moment to take in the sight before they start falling down. "Oh shit! Tree!" Mercury thinks as the four start falling to the trees, only for them to leap from them and keep pushing more inward to the forest. No longer was they in the boarder towns of Mistral, now they were in the woods that engulfed most of Vale. The trees were now mostly pines than the blend of oaks and birch trees, as the group landed down. "Okay. We're here." Blake notes. "Uhhhh.....I can't seem to see a door, or anything resembling a house." Mercury notes. "Of course you humans can't see it. You only take things face value. You need to learn how to walk in." Weiss notes. Yang sets him down. Mercury was thinking of running off, but than remembered that Blake promised to gut him if he did, so he didn't do something stupid. "Wanna walk in?" Yang asked. "I would say no, but than I would be kitty litter within the day." Mercury notes. "Tiger." Blake corrected. "Hmmm..." Mercury simply hummed to himself, acknowledging what she said. "Easy you two. Let's just go inside. Everyone is cranky to some degree." Ruby tries to end the possible threat of an arguement. "I'll listen to ya red, as long as kitty here doesn't try to nibble my stubs out." Mercury notes. "You're not very appetizing." Blake shoots at him. "Ohohoho." Mercury notes. "Would you two stop trying to measure your penis energy?" Weiss groaned. Both Blake and Mercury look away, clearly not wanting to continue. Yang snickered a bit. "This is gonna be great!" Yang notes as she basically shoved the ledge rock away to reveal a house? It seemed to be a house within the cave, or a large hive. He wasn't sure as when they all stepped in it was very spacious. "So this is where you guys sleep?" Mercury asked. "I actually live in a palace." Weiss remarked. "Oh shit they still exist?" Mercury asked dumbfoundly. "Why yes. We fairies take pride in out establishments, unlike you humans who seem to deny the rights of your kings in favour of that chaotic thing you call a Republican. Hmph. Back in our day kings and queens were absolutes. Righteous. Virtually pure. That was until you humans just had to get your grubby hands on divine rights, saying it's not fair. What power do peasants have over kings?" Weiss blabbed. "Okay Weiss. You should sleep over. I got the bed ready." Ruby said, to which Weiss begrudgingly agreed. "I do ramble nonsense when I'm tired. Take me lizard brain." Weiss said as she leaped into Ruby's arms, not wanting to walk anymore on her heels. Ruby nodded and giggled her way to the room with her. "They seem...very peachy?" Mercury notes. "Don't mind them, that's how Ruby is. Willing to lift others." Yang notes. "I see....soooooooooo... when can I leave? I mean I'm all in for sleepovers and repaying debts, but you know I got-" Mercury was cut short by Yang pressing her tail and pinning him to the couch. "Listen here....uhhh?" Yang realized she didn't know her name and now the situation became awkward. "It's Mercury. Mercury Black." Mercury said. "Mercury Black. As of now....I uh, hold you as prisoner to the Xiao Long household. You will be beside me at all times till death!" Yang ordered nervously. "Cute, but I don't do this whole prisoner thing. I promise to keep my mouth shut with this whole thing and maybe even come by, but I do have a job." Mercury said. "T-that being?!" Yang asked. ".....I clean up trash." Mercury responded. "Well Mercury. Aren't you tired of it?" Yang asked. "It's all I got. And it pays well." Mercury replied.

  
"What if I pay you?!" Yang argued. "Yeah? With what?!" Mercury asked. Yang was hesitant with her answer, but did muster up courage. "W-wuth the promise of enternal happiness!" Yang replied. "....can that pay off 15000 silver coins?" Mercury asked. "Uhhhhh..." Yang had a hard time answering that. "Than no. I decline this proposal of yours." Mercury said. Yang would run up ahead and try to stop him. "Yang was it? You should stand aside. I don't wanna hurt you." Mercury threathen. "Nor would I, but you don't expect us to believe you'll keep quiet." Yang argued. "Look Blondie. I keep my word when I say I'll keep my mouth shut, which is a first for me. I just love chatting ears off, but I don't wanna die young, so do know your secret is safe with me. Now I bid you a do." Mercury would prance around her and head out. Yang was quick to follow behind him. "Look. Just get some sleep. It's late." Mercury said. "I think we both agree we need to sleep. If you stay, I promise you won't be a prisoner. I was....overreacting." Yang admits. "I can tell. Desperation was all over that expression of yours when you proposed that. I admit it was, somewhat nostalgic, but you don't tell people they're prisoners. It's a no go." Mercury scolded. "I...I guess so." Yang held her left forearm. Mercury puffs out whatever air was in his lungs in a sigh. "Okay...I hope I don't regret this." Mercury said. He somewhat didn't like seeing people sad, and for some reason this certain person made him obligated to feel bad for scolding her. He reasoned that she was a sheltered person. "I'll make a deal with you. If you agree to not hold me a prisoner, and if I do stay the night, would you be able to walk out of the forest and learn to socialize? Maybe with people your age?" Mercury asked. "I....I guess that's a good deal." Yang admits. "I'm not gonna forced this on you. You have to agree to this on your own." Mercury remarked. "I do." Yang assured him, sticking her left arm out to shake his hand. Mercury would go for it, holding the scaled hand in his. He had to admit, it felt smooth. The two would head back and sleep for the night separately, but that didn't last.

  
The next thing Mercury knew, he woke up with a Dragon girl curled up close to him on the couch, her chest resting above his forehead as she held his head in her arms. Her tail wrapped around his body like a coil around a pipe. He didn't know what to do about this. He does try to squirm away, but it only makes her tail squeeze him harder. Or better yet her squeeze him, as she only wrapped around him tighter. "Crap! Imma die in a woman's arms, which is a weird yet oddly fine way to go!" Mercury thinks. He thought quick and squeezes the tip of the tail, which did make Yang wake up. It was rather frightening to see her eyes turn completely red, as she shouts out in an emotional screech. Or was it a moan? Mercury wasn't sure as he was constricted even more until finally let go. "What the hell was that?" Mercury asked Yang. "Idiot! You don't grab the tip of a Dragon's tail! That's like if I grabbed your scepter!" Yang demonstrated this by basically doing the same to him, gripping a death lock on them. Mercury squealed in pain. "O-okay! P-please! Let go." Mercury quipped quickly understanding, as Yang did so. "I gotta say Mercury, you sure know how to wake a girl up." Yang admits. "Wait! I thought you were angry a second ago! What gives?!" Mercury asked. "Oh. I'm sorry Merc." Yang said. "Hm. Alright. Anyways, I'll see to it we all eat something." Mercury said as he headed to the kitchen.

  
The kitchen had a iron cauldron, iron furnace, and a large stone that was basically the cutting board. He figured it was meant for simplicity, since the table was literally a tree stump no one bothered to take our, but did bother to smoothen out to eat on. He later check the storage chest, where they kept all of their game. Some buck legs, ribs and tongues were surprisingly kept frozen. "Must be Ice princess's work." Mercury thinks as he grabbed the ribs to cook them. He found it odd that they managed a collection of food within the chest. He later check the shelves for seasoning, which he found. Some salt and peppers were all he was willing to use, not to be fancy with it. He divides the rib cage to more manageable pieces that could be cooked in the stove, and after letting it thaw out and seasoning it, he puts it in the stove. He later works on top of the stove to fry some eggs he found in another chest. 

  
Yang watches this afar, mostly suprised by this. "You can cook?" Yang asked. "More like grill and cook meat, but why focus on things like baked goods when you can eat some good game. I find it neat that you had some in a chest. Saved me time on actually hunting some rabbits." Mercury said. "C-could we have rabbits? I haven't seen them around much." Yang asked innocently. Mercury felt a strange turn in his heart. "Hmm...maybe. I go hunting after breakfast." Mercury said. "Yay!" Yang exclaimed happy. The others woke up smelling eggs being fried. "Morning sis! Our little stray is cooking food." Yang exclaimed. Ruby nodded and yawn. "It better not get burnt." Weiss said. "Yeah yeah Ice queen. I'll make sure ya get it raw." Mercury joked. Weiss wasn't a fan of the joke and froze the ground below him, and he slipped into Yang. "Smooth work Weiss." Blake said. Yang blushed a bit and pushed him away. Mercury was quick to recollect himself and continue cooking silently.

  
By the time the food was done, all five of them sat near the tree stump. Weiss would munch on the food without much sass or criticism towards how it was cook, seeming to stuff her words where her mouth was. Blake nibbles on her ribs without much disdain. Ruby was enjoying her eggs and Yang was wolfing down her ribs. "This is really good!" Yang admits after downing some water. "Heh. There's a saying, if ya wanna get people's hearts, ya just gotta work up to the stomach." Mercury states. "I see. Well I do have to say Mr.Black, you could at least be a decent deli chef in our establishment." Weiss admits. "Neat." Mercury states. "I still don't like you." Blake remarks. "Also neat. I just hope we don't need to have myself served on one of these plates anytime soon." Mercury joked. Blake huffed a sigh. "Well Mercury, you think you can keep you know, there being faies and dragons a secret?" Ruby asked. "Heh. Of course I can. They probably wouldn't believe me anyway." Mercury said. "And you will keep your promise of coming back?" Yang bursts out. Mercury gives her a smirk. "Sure thing." Mercury replied. He was ready to go hunting and probably heading back to his village, though he probably would be back there by the next day. "Where the hell were you?! We thought you died!" Emerald shouts at her colleague. The bar hears this but looked away, not wanting to be nosey to something they didn't have a right to. "Heh. I got lost. Simple as that." Mercury replied. "We didn't think you actually were going to head to the woods." Roman remarked. "And I came out without a scratch." Mercury smirked. "Of course you didn't. You be too drunk to get into a fight." Emerald flatly said. Mercury chuckled to this. "Yeah...well I still have to move to the next village. I wasn't able to last time." Mercury admits. "Either way, you better come back with some coins." Roman remarked. "Oh I will." Mercury chuckled and left. The next morning he was able to walk all the way to the next village, which was a collection of small huts with a guild hall. He walked into the guild establishment to get a job from the board, which he did. He found himself at the board with listings of ranked jobs. D ranks are the average chore, guard, or pet rescue missions, more of a first step to build a reputation. C rank missions are the escort missions that are given to people who are trustworthy. B rank are the supply transport mission given to mercenaries or bounty hunters alongside guild members. A rank are rescue missions, given to expert ranked guildmembers or bounty hunter. S rank missions are hitman missions, given to hitmen or S rank guild members. Mercury grabs himself a B rank mission, one that makes quick cash of 5000 silver coins. Apperantly the mission was a trek to deliver supplies to Mantle, which was a 14 week trip. He knew who to take this to, having a smirk as he took the mission from the guild after flashing his tattoo of a winged foot on his scarred shoulder. As soon as he flashed the emblem, he was quick to leave, heading back to the woods. In the woods, he waits out the early night, not wanting to alarm Grimm. "I wonder if sh-" Mercury cuts himself, thinking why he was thinking about Yang. He shakes his head and groaned at the realization that he didn't know how to get to her place. "It would've been nice to know the way there." Mercury admits, and as if it was willed by magic, a small flame pops out of nowhere. The small ember burns lightly, and when Mercury approaches it, it teleports ahead. "Huh. Cheeky little bugger." Mercury remarked as he treks towards the ember, following it back to her place. By the time he caught up to the final ember, he lunged to catch it, only to be caught in a hug. Mercury felt a familiar burning feeling that warmed in his heart, not knowing why he was feeling it. It turned out that Yang was the one hugging him. "I'm glad you're back!" Yang exclaimed. Mercury blushes a bit, and runs his neck. "Yeah, but definitely didn't came here to freeloath. I came to get you and I some good old fashion traveling. It'll get you to socialize some more." Mercury said. "W-what?" Yang asked suprised. "Yeah. I got us a easy supply transport mission. It'll be a easy piece of cake." Mercury said. "F-for how long?" Yang asked. "For us it'll be only a good week." Mercury admits, knowing that they could get horses in another nearby village and her being a half dragon. "Y-you think I won't...you know...freak people out?" Yang asked. "We'll say you're just a elf. Elves do exist alongside humans after all." Mercury said. "I don't look like one." Yang said. "Naw. Ya look better." Mercury mouths out, not thinking before talking. In that moment both share a small silence, feeling the warm feeling again. "Okay love birds. Back it down a peg." Ruby giggled. "How long were you there?" Mercury asked. "Too long." Blake replied, already scribbling something. "Hwta is she doing?" Mercury asked. B-Blake! Don't write us into another novel!" Yang begged. "Novel?!" Mercury asked. "Yeah. I write novels. Darn good ones." Blake states. "Huh? How come I never heard of an author named Blake?" Mercury asked. "I use a pen name. Does Erika Goodpen ring a bell?" Blake asked. "Oooh shit! Are you serious?! You're Emerald's favourite author?!" Mercury asked. "So my reputation does percieve me? That's good to know." Blake boosts herself up. "Your smut is something alright." Mercury flatly said. "Hey! It's romantic erotica!" Blake said. Mercury snickered. "Fine. Your romantic erotica is basic." Mercurycorrected himself. Blake rolled her eyes not acknowledging his insult to her proficient book writing skills. "W-well....I'm going to pack my things. You can come in Merc." Yang let Mercury in, and he waits in the couch as she packed her things. Later on in the night, Yang tugged his coat. "Merc...can we sleep now?" Yang asked. "This is your house. I think you can sleep wheneve-" "Can we sleep together?" Yang clarified. Mercury blinks and blushes lightly. "O-oh...well...I guess so." Mercury replied, following her to the bed. The two entered a yellow room, one with many carved wooden toys of Grimm, dragons, knights and princesses. Mercury holds the Dragon toy. "So I take it you like fairy tales?" Mercury asked. "My dad....he read me so many stories...I basically know the world like that. It's probably more scary than fairytales." Yang admits. "....how do you see yourself as?" Mercury asked timidly. "Hm?" Yang asked. "...do you...uh...see yourself as a princess? A knight? Some Grimm monster, or a Dragon?" Mercury asked. "O-oh....I'm proud to be a Dragon. Or at least half of one. I guess it's weird to say that. You know, since we seem to get killed in fairytales, but I learned that I shouldn't be angry about it. Like my dad, some dragons can be treated with respect. I....I guess I kept myself away from the world...because I didn't want to disappoint my dad." Yang hugs herself a bit. Mercury sets the toy away and sits beside her. "I.....see myself as a spectator. I can't do good." Mercury states. "What do you mean? You did a good breakfast, and you kept your word." Yang points out. "Tch....for selfish reasons...." Mercury admits. "Huh?" Yang asked, tilting her head. "I....I sometimes feel non human. Like Grimm. But even Grimm don't loose their legs and live to tell another day, if you can call it living without legs." Mercury's metal stilts shake. "Shit....I must be really tired...cuz I be rambling my mind off...I'm sorry for bringing such a taboo question." Mercury said. "Merc....I think this is fine." Yang admits. "What?" Mercury asked. "You're being honest with me. That does take some huge balls. Consider yourself ballsy Mercury." Yang puns at Mercury. Mercury smirks and chuckled a bit. "Well...I guess I turn honest when tired." Mercury said. "Hey...if you wanna keep talking about this when you get a good night's rest...I wouldn't mind hearing." Yang remarked. "....you probably are gonna regret that." Mercury admits. "I won't, as long as you and I can work it off together. Like you helping me get social." Yang reminded him. "Okay, now it be a good time to sleep." Mercury fell into the bed, shortly followed by Yang. Yang already wraps her tail around him, and for another time the warm feeling burns slow in his heart, and for the second time in a while, he was able to rest with a eased conscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thxs again for managing to make it through this. It was nice to continue this story and hopefully you enjoyed it. I'm going to continue this weekly, and till the final chapter kicks in, I'll be glad to continue this. Leave a comment for anything you think I can improve of.


	3. Off with the Puppets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Mercury has a job to do with Yang, things might get even more sweet. If you call sweet torturing Mercury with adding more members to their band of 5 that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly an excuse to add a character that's going to explain the world they live in. Hopefully, it ain't coming off as lazy, because this is a part that needs more valid effort. The world-building isn't exactly my strong suit, so I'm going to have to incorporate this with the power of another character! Hope you don't mind! Also, I'm going to warn you that this might get heavy for some lightweight readers who don't like the topic relating to mental illness. Reading discretion is advised

The next morning had arrived, birds were singing, the sun was shining, and Mercury was already pleading this was going to be quick. You see, he didn't expect the other three to join Yang. "You didn't expect us to leave Yang with someone we barely met, right?" Weiss inquired Mercury. "Not with that attitude of yours." Mercury barked back. "Hey! We truly do care about one of our own! You carry some cognitive impairment in that head of yours?" Weiss barked back. "Enough! We should really focus on not trying to stand out as much." Ruby remarked. "Sorry. I needed to ensure the human knows the basic principle of character. If humans possess such a thing." Weiss remarked. "Okay! You guys wanna act normal? Go shopping! Have a cherry old time!" Mercury notes to them. "Well, now that's something we can both agree on. C'mon girls, let's distance ourselves from this human as much as possible." Weiss remarked, dragging Ruby away. "You three can go. I'm going to make sure Merc doesn't leave." Yang said. "You think I'm that heartless? Leaving 4 strangers to fend for themselves?" Mercury sarcastically asked. "Well no. It's really just me taking precautions." Yang replied without much insight. Mercury mentally notes how cute the response was, even if he had no idea why. "I can't lose the four of you. You'll probably stick out like a sore thumb " Mercury remarked. "Is that a good or a bad thing?" Yang asked. "Good for me." Mercury simply said Meanwhile, Weiss was already shopping a storm in the market, buying as much dust and supplies as a pompous fairy could buy. Ruby was behind her, mainly carrying what seems to be a large chest in front of her. "Weiss...I think we're done...my legs...they're getting wobbly." Ruby whined. "What you mean enough?! We don't even have a tea set yet! I'm doing this for everyone." Weiss remarked as she marched forward. "Weiss! Wait-"

Ruby stumbles and crashes into another girl passing by, now praying that the chest didn't crush her. It seemed, however, when Ruby got up she sees an unphased smile on the ginger's face. "Salutations!" The stranger exclaimed. Ruby would offer her hand and the stranger took it. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you with the chest!" Ruby apologized to the clueless girl. "It is fine! I am glad you aren't injured." The stranger said. "I'm Ruby!" Ruby introduced herself. "Penny Polendina!" Penny introduced herself. Weiss noticed Ruby was not behind her and retraced her steps and found her. "Ruby! You shouldn't split from me over some grub! I assure you I am going to buy you some pork if it means you won't mean" Weiss cuts herself seeing Penny, then would leap in front of Ruby defensively. "Who are you?!" Weiss held her rapier at her. "Weiss! She's not a threat!" Ruby exclaimed at her. Weiss would put her rapier down. "Okay...tell me! Who are you?!" Weiss demanded of Penny. "I'm Penny Polendina! I'm on my way to Atlas, though my father said I need to wait for a group of guides to watch over me, even if I know the way there." Penny explained. "Is that right?" Ruby asked, now concocting a plan. "Ruby...what are you thinking about?" Weiss asked. "Hmm...say, Weiss? The more the merrier, right?" Ruby asked. Weiss immediately thought of it and smiled back at Ruby, they both looked back at Penny.

Yang and Mercury were waiting on a brick ledge, Yang wrapping her tail around his hips. "Blondie. Is the tail thing necessary?" Mercury asked timidly, not sure why he was nervous about the situation. "What you mean? Don't people hang close to others to display their friendship?" Yang asked. "Yeah but you do need to hide your tail," Mercury remarked, and after hearing her say Sorry, she pulled the tail under her robe. Mercury later regretted that, feeling a bit cold for no reason. The feeling soon was popped when the three came back in four. "Hey, sis! How was shopping?" Yang asked, hoping down to hug her. "It was fine! Better than expected, now that we met a new friend!" Ruby states, now letting Penny introduce herself to Yang. Yang shakes her hand after introductions were done with, but Mercury kept to himself. "Red? I must be going crazy, but did you decided to recruit another member without the whole group's consideration or consent?" Mercury asked. "I mean I did get Weiss to agree with letting Penny join us," Ruby replied. "Yeah. Yeah! But did you consider that this could slow us down?!" Mercury barked. "Hey! She knows her way to Atlas. We're all going there, so it might do us some good to have someone else navigate us there." Weiss defended Ruby. "Oh! And I must be so bad at directions!" Mercury snapped. "Merc...we're not saying that. Ruby just like making friends. She lives by the phrase 'The more the merrier'." Yang explained. Mercury didn't try to argue with her, so he opted to reason out his viewpoint to the other. "Well, this doesn't change the fact that we are-"

"Pleased to take your daughter with us Mr.Polendina! We will make sure that Penny will be protected by us at all times!" Mercury explained to the man of the Polendina shop. Who knew that Yang's kitten eyes would come to some good use. Yang basically used those against Mercury, even tagged in with Ruby. Mercury was spewing profanities in his mind while shaking Mr.Polendina's hand. "Oh thank you, kind ladies and gentlemen! I'm very pleased that my Penny will be safe traveling to Atlas!" Mr.Polendina states. "Of course! It's our pleasure!" Blake confirmed as the six of them would walk out of the house. "Soo...Mercury? How are you handling?" Yang chirped at him. "Barely," Mercury replied, as his smile was more forced and his eyes dilated as his mind buzzed more and more. "Excuse me Mr.Black? Is it possible if we walk to the north? We can arrive at Kuchinashi within 2 days. It is a rather quiet village that has the most wonderful water system! They build some of the best aqueducts in all of the Mistral!" Penny asked. "Uh-huh? I guess?" Mercury notes as the group seg their course to Kichinashi. At midnight, the forest was rather stale and without malice, like the chirping of crickets and occasional frog croak eased the mind of the six travelers. "Oh, such a wonderful intake of the natural world! It's like walking inside the body of a living creature! Oh, you can hear the frees cracking and growing." Penny happily exclaimed. "Maybe tone it down a bit Copper gal. We do need to keep going. Kichinashi is indeed 2 days away." Mercury remarked. "Oh that is indeed true, but do you think we should sleep here? I am sure we mostly wouldn't mind so." Penny remarked. "Oh goodie. You don't mind sleeping in the woods. Let's give a round of applause to the copper gal!" Mercury quipped. Penny tilted her head in confusion. "Mercury. Quit it." Blake's amber eyes glow Hazel. "Oh ho ho! That's superb. Now the kitty is protecting the copper gal! Lemme know when you two are going to scissor each other. I'll make sure to keep myself from even looking at your direction." Mercury remarked. "What the hell are you doing? You were definitely not this much of an ass." Blake remarked. "Oh I'm sorry, but I'm still uneased with how bizarre the girl can memorize every single leave pattern on an oak tree." Mercury quipped. "Mercury...didn't you sleep last night?" Yang asked. "Well yes, I did. Why you ask?" Mercury asked. "It seems to me that you haven't. I know how angry I can be when I don't sleep enough, but you don't need to lash out on others." Yang remarked. "Oh! Okay. I'm being an ass. How insightful." Mercury remarked snarkily. Yang would've slapped anyone down a peg for insulting her, but she instead walked away from the others, sniffling a bit. The other four just went after her. "Fine! You all go after the drama queen! I'll set canon up!" Mercury snapped at them, now alone again. Mercury already had the fire ready, now staring at it as his mind buzzed in his head.

"Good job dumbass." "Shut up jackass." "Did you seriously call yourself a jackass?" "Well, you called me a dumbass!" "Oh. Okay. When I call you out for doing something stupid, it's an insult, but when you snap back at yourself it's okay cuz I'm the big bad Mercury Black." "....." "No snarky remarks? No pointless insults? No crappy jokes? I guess you can only bite at someone for so long till they leave ya. It's sad really, you know this is probably why she left. "...shut up....just shut up." "Oh. Like they ever did. You know, old man and hag? I mean, that's how they referred to each other every time they fought. Which was...let's say, almost every time you screwed up." "...it's not m-" "Oh don't play the fucking victim. You know that those four are nice. Too nice to your liking. That's why when they got Penny to join you immediately got jealous. Tell me, how do you sleep at night knowing how self-destructive you are?" "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" "Ya can't. That's the beauty of not being drunk. You get to talk with yourself. Ain't that lovely? You think they'll listen to your apologies or your 'I'm only like this cuz daddy and mommy didn't love me' bullshit. You're lucky to even have parents. Emerald didn't. You're just a selfish little shit." "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Mercury snapped out of his head as he walked away from the fire to find the others. Now that it was the witching hour, the forest grew darker as he got away from the fire. "YANG? BLAKE? RUBY? WEISS? PENNY?" Mercury shouted looking for them. No response. This got Mercury to look more frantically. "Blondie?! Kitty Kat?! Red?! Princess?! Coppergal?! For fuck sakes, I'm sorry! Okay?! Yes! I'm an asshole! Yes! I'm a piece of shit! Now c'mon, let's stop playing hide and seek and go to the campfire!" Mercury exclaimed. Mercury grew more anxious as no one responded. "G-guys?" Mercury asked a bit scared. He then noticed an emblem he didn't expect to see in the forest. It was a very alarming emblem etched on a tree. The Skull emblem. "....no no no...no no no no! Yang?! Ruby?! Blake?! Weiss?! Penny?! No no no no!"

Mercury runs across the forest to later find himself among 4 other hunters. They had the four girls pinned by spears. "Lookie here. Some fresh meat. Ain't had fairy meat before." One of the hunters remarked as he pinned Weiss down. Blake was pinned to a branch as 4 dogs were barking up at her. Ruby was held at spear point, clearly scared for her life being held by two hunters. The big hunter had Yang held at spear point near her head. Penny was encased in earth dust, not able to move or help the others. "Leave them alone!" Penny pleaded. "Now you don't tell what Junior should do. Or else he breaks ya." The second hunter remarked while the proclaimed Junior held Yang down. If Mercury was tense due to including Penny around, he was now surely enraged seeing those he was supposed to mend and protect held near death's door. Mercury pulls out two knives built in his legs and charged forward in a calm fury.

Branches were snapping around the group of hunters. "What's that?" The third hunter asked. "You go find out. I got Dragon meat to tenderize." Junior remarked. The third hunter left the dogs to their own before getting slashed in the gut by two blades. The other two hunters looked to see the third one on the ground. "What the-" The second hunter was cut short by the legs as he falls down. The first hunter than sees Mercury's cold eyes stare back. The hunter's legs wobble a bit. "Say? Mind if I borrow this?" Mercury already pulled his speed away to break it. "LEAVE. NOW." Mercury barked as the first hunter ran passed Junior. "The hell are you doing?!" Junior asked before getting kicked away from Yang. Yang's eyes start to open up hearing the thud, then looking over a Mercury with blood on his coat and face. "Mercury?" Yang asked a bit scared. "...I'm sorry...you have every right to be pissed off at me, and even more of a right to be scared of me. Please get Penny out of the earth dust. Maybe scare some dogs away. I got a bear to break."

Mercury states to her as he calmly puts the knives back in his legs, then pulled a baton from each of his wristbands. "This is a surprise. I didn't think the Butcher would dare go after my men. Tell me, boy, ya got a death wish?" Junior asked. "Funny. I'm here to accomplish yours. Be proud it took a Black clansman to take you out." Mercury snarled back before striking his leg with both batons. Junior pulls out his club from the leg that got stuck with the batons and later whacked Mercury away with a hard hit to a tree. Mercury would feel the force of the club crack his rib cage. "Gah!...my ribs..." Mercury remarked as he held them. "Haha! Is this really what Marcus taught you? You must've disappointed him so bad." Junior remarked. Mercury starts to stand up after hearing that but fell due to the cracked ribs. "Well....guess this is Ciara!" Junior was ready to use his club, but then noticed it was now a stick. A bunch of ribbons with blades tips snaked up and down around Junior. Junior froze in fear as he sees the puppet girl using the ribbons to constrict him. Mercury looks at his savior almost apologetically.

"Wait! Please! Don't kill me!" Junior pleaded. It was Yang who walked up to Junior. "How bout we kiss and make up?" Yang proposed. "Yes! Just don't kill me!" Junior pleaded. "Pucker up!" Yang pulled in her left arm to throw a hook, which landed right in the kisser and cracked his jaw, knocking him out. Mercury looks at the group of girls now looking down at him. "....I'm sorry...." "Apology accepted," Penny said cheerfully as the ribbons pulled back into her system. The group headed back tor the campfire and ate a meal together. "Okay...I'll admit it....I'm basically an asshole. I'm gonna try not to be a dick." Mercury expressed himself. "I see. Well, Mercury, I'll keep that in mind before considering eating you." Blake remarked. "Was that an attempt to make a joke?" Mercury asked. "Eh. I ain't a stand-up comedian." Blake admits. "Keep working on it, and maybe you can make a 'standing' ovation at a play!" Yang punned out. "Oh jeez no..." Ruby facepalmed before giggling. The group however did laugh together after that. Mercury looks at the fire while most of them fell asleep. Yang tugged at his cleaned out shirt. "Mercury...you sh-" "Should lay down and rest up. Way ahead of you." Mercury admitted defeat to the need to sleep as he laid down. Yang pulls him close. "...goodnight Mercury..." Yang whispered. "...night Yang..." Mercury laid close to her, trying to dream a good dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. This one was a big leap. I consider it may be one of the harder chapters to write. This had some heavy topics I'm probably gonna have to tag on this work from now on. Hopefully, it wasn't too much of dread to read
> 
> Hope this chapter didn't have many spelling errors. Grammarly was a huge help when double checking things


	4. Journey to Kuchinashi: With more members

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Six grew to Seven. Seven grew to Eleven. Ten grew to Fourteen. A bit rowdy for Mercury, but he does need to help Yang with socializing, so not all bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooooooooo!
> 
> Mercury is now gonna get it. Or close to it. This one came a bit more smoother than the last one. Smooth sailing from here. Also some Blacksun sprinkled in, so if this don't bring in some Wasps, than we are safe!

"Mercury? Mercury?

"...hmm....gimme five minutes...."

"Mercury!"

"What?!" Mercury cuts himself short looking up to see an Alpha Beowulf. Unlike the Ursula, these things are quick killers. Alphas being the worse. The other five members of the band already got ready to run, except Yang who was basically trying to wake up the log that was Mercury. When he did finally get up, he immediately ran, grabbing Yang's scaley hand and dragging her with him. It didn't take long however for her to keep up. Now that the Beowulf was basically hunting all six of them down. There was a single thought going through Mercury's mind, which he did vocalize as soon as it got closer. "YANG?! WHY DON'T YOU RIP IT A NEW ONE?!" Mercury squealed out. "I'M SORRY!" Yang cried. "WE CAN'T DO THAT WHEN WE DON'T EAT!" Ruby explained. "WHAT?!" Mercury yelled. "YES! WE NEED TO EAT SOME SORT OF FIRE IN ORDER FOR OUR STRENGTH TO COME IN. YANG USED MOST OF IT IN OUR ENCOUNTER LAST NIGHT!" Ruby clarified.

"Okay! Here's what we're going to do! One of us leads the Beowulf away from the group and run around in circles. The rest of us will fend it off any other Beowulves that might come till I light a fire big enough for Yang! Any-" Mercury sees Blake super dash away from the Beowulf out of her primal fear of dogs, as it chases her away from the others. Mercury takes a moment to process this image of a tiger spirit running away from a dog before snapping back and starting to ignite a fire, with the most useless flintstone he picked up. It wasn't even going to light a twig with how bad it was. He tossed it away to look for other flints around.

Blake now basically running around a nearby rock hill was trying her best not to die. The Beowulf snapping Its jaws closer and closer to her thighs, trying to sink Its teeth in her. Blake decided running wasn't going to be the best way to survive this, so she opted to hide within the rocky hill, diving headfirst into a hole big enough for all of her to slide in. When she got in, her hazel eyes adjusted to see a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hey. How you're doing?"

"W-what are you doing in a pla-"

"Basically trapped here cutie. I'm going to need your help out of here."

Blake looks at the person in confusion. He seems to be trapped under the hill, his stomach laying on the ground and his back buried in the hill. She then looks around and sees why. A seal was placed above him.

"Wait?! Is that a seal"?!

"Yes it is. All you need to do is snap it away and I'll handle whatever hellhound is going after your butt!"

Blake looks behind her, seeing a ravenous beast snapping Its jaw close to her behind. She then looks ahead to the stranger holding a cheeky smile.

"What if I say no?"

"Hey I can wait another 100 years. You are the one running out of time.

"Look. If I do tear the seal away, you promise to help me out with the Beowulf?"

""I'm up for a good game."

Blake reaches for the seal, inching her hand closer and closer. The stranger's eyes glow with embers of anticipation. One tug. It was just one tug. That's all it took for the seal to break off the rock, and the hill to rumble.

"WOOOOOOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

The entire hill breaks up in tiny pebbles, making it rain stones. The small ember that Mercury got running basically gets pummeled down by the rocks. "C'MON!" Mercury cries in agony. Meanwhile, the stranger starts to be visible from the dust. A shaggy blonde nest on top of his head, a pair of buff arms accompanied by a toned chest, big back, tone and chiseled set of abs, hips wide enough to hold it all, torn pants revealing a very beefy set of thighs above a very tense set of calves, and bare feet. The last feature Blake noticed was a blonde monkey tail.

"SUN WUKONG IS BACK! RUYI JINGU BANG!!"

The group then sees a golded-branded staff fly towards the stranger, or Sun Wukong as he announced himself to be. The staff didn't however go to his hands, instead opting to attempt to whack him before flying off.

"Ohohoho! You're a cheeky fellow! Yes, you are!"

Sun goes after the staff, and he did grab a hold of it after a moment of mishandlement. The Beowulf sees the new target, being Sun in front of him. Before the Beowulf swiped at him, Sun simply spoke "Extend!" before the staff grew as tall as a redwood tree, the Beowulf basically breaking Its paw swiping at the gold-branded staff. The staff shrinks just enough for Sun to snicker at the Beowulf in its vision.

"Hey there mutt! Wanna play fetch?!" Sun held a small stuck to tease it. The Beowulf would slash at him before his robe got caught in its claws, but Sun was able to get out of it unharmed. Sun than would shake some hair off of him to create light clones of himself, each striking the Beowulf ten times before Sun whack it to the great beyond with his staff. The Beowulf was successfully slain, much to the applause of most of the adventurers, except Mercury. He was a bit off the edge of another super spirit. "Okay. Well just to let everyone know, I was gonna do the same." Mercury notes. "Sure thing. Just get to it after learning all 72 transformation styles!" Sun boosted himself a bit. Yang stepped in to introduce herself. "Yang Xiao Long. It's nice to meet you-"

"Sun Wukong!"

"Okay! It was a really nice solid you did for us, but we best get a move on, so take care Mr.Wulong, and let's go." Mercury issued the rest to basically ditch the upcoming conversation before Sun would tag along. That was till a priestess who was sleeping at a hatch nearby starts storming up to the group. "Sun Wukong! How did you break out of the seal?!" The priestess said. "C'mon now! You honestly think a crappy seal from the hags in the high up was gonna keep me down!? I'm Sun Wukong! There's nothing that's gonna keep me down!" Sun announced. The priestess however had something for such an emergency, calling forth a crown with a whistle. "Huh? The hell?!" Sun tried tugging it off, but it was gonna stay there. She then handed a scroll to the closet one there, which was Blake.

"My work is done. His problem now." The priestess left the group be, now rising up Mercury's blood pressure with fuming rage. "OI! GET BACK HERE!" Mercury was being held back by Yang and Weiss. "Yeah! Get this thing off of me!" Sun demanded with Mercury as the elder left out of their sight. Blake inspects inside the scroll to discover it was a song. She attempts to whistle the notes, which worked too well. Sun starts to help in pain as the crown squeezes his head. "Hey! Stop that!" Sun snapped at Blake. "Sorry," Blake notes and looked down. Sun huffed a bit. "Yeah, I forgive ya and whatever." Sun barked, not wanting to be mad about the situation. "Okay, so we go. Okay? Okay!" Mercury was ready to head out before Yang stops in front of him. "No...please no. I just got used to Penny, and I don't have more f-" Mercury sees Yang's kitten eyes. "No. You can't keep doing this when you want us to drag along anot-" Mercury was surprised with Blake doing the same. Mercury closed his eyes. "No. No no no! Let's not-"

"Look man. I really don't wanna do this either. Especially with this one. If I'm remembering right Kuchinashi is ahead. I could get someone to pry this off, then we can split off afterward. Deal?" Sun proposed. Mercury shakes the hand of Sun and looks at the kitten eyed girls. "Congrats. 2 to 0," Mercury remarked, before getting a hug from Yang who was happy with a new member for their team. The small fluttering in his heart starts again before he cuts it shorter than usual. The group keeps heading forward before Mercury stops the group to rest. Mercury later heads into the woods to go hunting for rabbits, which he managed to get enough for each of them. When he came back Sun was jesting for the entertainment for the crew. "Okay Wulong. Glad that you kept yourself busy. You can go fetch firewood." Mercury states. "I'll go with him, so he doesn't run off." Blake excused herself to join him. "...weird. Does that happen often?" Mercury asked Weiss. "Not ever," Weiss replied, deepening their intrigue with the change of heart.

"Hey....so, I guess I'm just wondering why you decided to join us? Besides you know, getting that crown off? And again! I'm sorry for activating it. I didn't think it was going to when whistling that tune and all that." Blake inquires at Sun. Sun looks at her eyes and smiles a bit. "You know, I guess I figured I'll kill some time with some body else than Ryin." Sun replied chuckling. Blake's cheek grow pink a bit. "I see. Well...I'm glad you decided to tag along. Being around Mercury was barely tolerable and having some likable guy is a good thing." Blake comments. "You find me likable eh Bellé?" Sun jestered. "Oh. Well I uh, uh?" Blake cuts herself unable to make a response. Sun grabs some tulips he found nearby. "A gesture of friendship. To being decent!" Sun toasted with the tulips. Blake blushed as she got them, to than do the same. "To being decent." Blake had a small smile while saying it.

Mercury looks at the sky above with Yang after the two decided to head out for a bit. "You think those little dots actually do anything else besides being eye candy?" Mercury asked. "Well....my daddy did tell me they tell stories. Look!" Yang points at a cluster that she could easily see the shape of a figure. "That's Sigor the Stenchy. He was a Dragon famous for his poisonous breath and gas, and being overall a decent guy with the bad case of bad armpit stench. Saved a lot of people with his poison that worked like an anditode." Yang chuckled a bit. Mercury looks at where she was pointing and had a hard time seeing it. "Uh huh, what about?" Mercury points a bit to the left. "Oh! Oh! That's Tylo the Titanic. She swam across the entire world while only eating plankton! She was also a very 'shallow' kind of gal!" Yang puns out near the end. Mercury chuckled a bit feeling his cheeks warm up a bit. "Well Yang, ya got one more?" Mercury asked. Yang points towards the center, looking a bit sad. "There's Tai the Truthful. He....saved humanity from the Grimm tidalwave...and had Ruby and I." Yang said. Mercury looked at Yang who was bummed out. "I...I guess one day, people are gonna look up there, and they'll tell stories of Yang the Youthful?" Mercury said. "Y-you think so?" Yang asked. "Yeah. You'll be able to be with those bozos and your old man, and hell even watch over a couple of bright eyed kiddies looking up at you." Mercury replied. This brought a small smile on Yang, thinking about it for a moment. "Hey Merc....you wonder what happens when you go? You know? Lights out?" Yang asked. "I...thats a hard question to answer."

"What you mean?" Yang asked. "Well....I guess it's hard for people like me, to think there's an after. Maybe for you there is, and maybe for some good folk there's a bug party up there with their relatives. I....I'm not sure if they'll let me in." Mercury replied. "...I think they will...I mean...how else can Yang the Youthful be there without Mercury the Masterful?" Yang asked, blushing a bit. Mercury blushes a bit more now. "Man...ya are something Yang. Something alright." Mercury smirked at her with the blush. Yang and Mercury look in their eyes for a bit, inching a bit closer as their bodies close the distance. After a bit more of getting closer, the two were nose apart. Mercury inches his face a bit closer to hers, and Yang was ready for it. The two were interrupted by a stackful of sticks dropping on Mercury's forehead. "Hehe! Got ya!" Sun snickered.

"Why ya absolute fuc- IMMA BREAK YA A NEW ASSHOLE!" Mercury's face was flabbergasted before recollecting himself to chased Sun across the meadow. Blake sits down near the sticks. "Soooo...ya two wer-" "Yep. And you two stopped me from getting what I wanted. You crazy cat girl." Yang replied. Blake holds a bit fo her chuckling. "Sorry...I just. Man. Sun was right. Mercury's reaction was priceless." Blake said. Yang did let out a small giggle. "Yeah...he's one of a kind." 

The next day they dis arrive to Kuchinashi, now Mercury a bit closer to Yang. Yang wasn't going to let an opportunity like this pass, wrapping her tail around him under her robe to cling onto him. Mercury let's it happen, being part of the course. The group were going there to get Sun's crown off of his head and for Penny to enjoy the water aqueducts. Penny looks around and like a kid in a candy store, Penny hops around Kuchinashi. "Would you believe it! The aqueducts around the place not only bring in their water supply, but also act like a sewage system! They sure don't need to worry about any sewage problems! Kuchinashi is also famous for their lily ponds! Can we go there?!" Penny said. "Sure. Just as long as we get to Atlas by the end of the month." Mercury quips up. "Sounds like a lovely place to spend some time alone, don't you think Merc?" Yang asked. Mercury looks back at a snickering Ruby. "What ya thinking Red?" Mercury asked. "Sorry...but your forehead." Ruby points at his red forehead from the sticks that were plopped on his head the other night. "Yeah...thank Sun for that one." Mercury grumbled. "It's not that bad." Yang said. "That's why I don't think we'll get interrupted on our way to the lily p-"

"STOP RIGHT THERE ASSASSIN SCUM!" Someone called out, armed a shield and sword. The person who shouts it was now in front of the group, leaping towards the exposed Mercury, aiming for the head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thxs again for managing till the end. I might consider making two chapters this week, since you know, I left it at a bit fo a cliffhanger.. Do leave a comment below for any critique or suggestion. This is basically Kerosene for the fire that I ignited when I decided to write this. Take care y'all


	5. Journey to Kuchinashi: With more members Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven became Eight. Eight became Eleven. And Eleven became Fourteen. Now the growth pains are gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit heavy with some heavy topics. If you ain't much of a fan for that you can avoid this chapter and go on to the next one, if and when it gets put in. I promise there's gonna be some more uplifting ones in the future. Reader discretion is advised.

The sword was inching closer and closer. Time seems to slow down for Mercury, as his memory flashes before his eyes. The black steel shines the nightmare into his mind.

"Okay dunt! Get on the board!" Marcus shouts at his son angry. "Dad! Dad no! Please!" Mercury begged. "Get away from him Marcus!" Mercury's mother held her 10-year-old son in her arms. Both of them were shaking looking up at the crazed alcoholic. "Shut it, Talerina! You old hag!" Marcus whacks Talerina away. Mercury finally snaps and shoved Marcus away seeing this, but it didn't move Marcus much. Marcus has basically shoved an inch away. "Oh ho ho! Little dunt has the balls! I'll take em off of your feet!" Marcus grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him towards a black steel door.

Back into reality, Yang gripped hold of the blade with her tail, holding it away from Mercury's eyes. A small trail of red goes down her tail. Yang grits her teeth as she breathes heavy. Her eyes were crimson, filled with a primal rage. This rage was enacted as she basically snapped and pushed the blade away and the person swinging it towards a wall. The villagers see this and noticed Yang's real self. The villagers start panicking and going to the other officers, getting the three towards their fallen ally. "Cardin! Are you okay?!" Sky asked. Russell and Dove also showed up to see the Dragon hybrid.

"Holy shit! What the hell is that ugly thing?" Dove asked. "Whatever it did to Cardin, it must've to want blood. Look! Even her tail has his blood on it!" Russel points out. Yang was frozen at the moment. "W-what the hell do you mean?! That asshole tried to kill me!" Mercury shouts out. "Silent assassin! You're next after I get back at this ugly lizard." Cardin gets up to continue this hassle. "Squire! My mallet!" Cardin calls out a blonde squire who hands him the smaller sheepishly. The four of them were ready to handle Yang, but they didn't know how outnumbered they were.

A spike of ice was launched towards Russel and whacked away the spear from his hand. Russel looks at his empty hands before seeing a rush of red roses. Ruby pounced on him to basically let loose on him, punching at his skull. Sun taps Sky's shoulder from behind, holding a smile before death glaring at him and just punches him in the nose. Sky holds his nose as he moves back to Blake who basically swipes at his back, disabling him. Dove and Cardin look around to see their teammates taken down by another Dragon Hybrid, a Fairy, and two Spirits. Dove rushes to protect Sky before getting kicked in the gut by an enraged Mercury. Mercury's mind was rushing with adrenaline after that forceful visit to his past, now ready to end him there. A quick ax kick to the collar bone basically got Dove a one way trip to Pain town. The seven enraged adventurers looked at Cardin, ready to end him there and there. Penny got dibs by basically roping him and tossing him to the sky. The seven wait for Cardin to fall down so they can talk to him. When he fell back to the ground, Mercury spat at his armor. "Ya fucked around and ya found out." Mercury hissed. The seven than look at a scared squire.

"Are ya number five in my hitlist?" Mercury asked irritated. "N-no! I actually hated them too! Yep! They are worse!" The blonde defends himself. "Is that right? What your name chap?" Mercury asked. "J-Jaune!" Jaune replied. "Okay, Jaune. If you really do hate this scumbag like the rest of us, We'll let you have the final blow." Mercury tossed him Cardin's mallet. "W-what?! I can't kill him. Sure he was a dick, but that's no reason to end some-"

"Well, It's either you get that mallet and swing it to the dickhead or I'm going to break your knees. Take your poison." Mercury cuts Jaune. Jaune gets scared and runs to be over Cardin. "You fucking Squire. I knew it I shou-" Cardin was cur by Jaune hitting Cardin in the chest, knocking him out. "Good job," Mercury smirks at Jaune. Jaune looks at the others a bit intimidated. "Don't worry. I don't think they'll harm you. Your threat levels are rather low." Penny says to Jaune, approaching to shake his hand. Jaune does so in order to remain on their good side. "Well Jaune, since you basically knocked out your employer, you got two options. Option one: You stay here and wait for the villagers to lynch you for basically taking out their knights in shining armor. Gloomy Roomy, no Bloomy. Option two: Ya keep your mouth shut and join up with the seven of us. It seems we're just picking up members left and right." Mercury proposed. "I guess since I don't want to, you know get lynch for basically committing a crime towards a powerful asshole, I guess I'll just, tag along." Jaune agreed. "Good," Mercury notes. Yang looks at Mercury bit surprised. "What? I can make friends." Mercury stated. "Well I would agree, but you didn't let Sun or Penny in so easy," Yang notes to him. "Yeah...guess ya didn't need the kitten eyes this time." Mercury comments. "Well...I might." Yang speaks up a bit. "What could they possibly try to get out of me this time?" Mercury questioned. "Maybe when we're alone," Yang whispered in his ear. Mercury is now plagued by his lewd thoughts like a roided teenager, looking behind the girl who basically proposed more alone time. He shakes them off, noting it wasn't like that when they were alone.

The group was now hiding in a bar to not only enjoy some drinks but for Mercury to call in with Emerald. He pays 10 silver coins to use the magic orb. "Uh....magic orb, magic orb, seek for me among the globe, a friend to speak within...shit I can't to that rhyming crap. Just get Emmy on the damn orb." Mercury gave up on rhyming halfway, and Emerald showed up. "Hey, jackass. I'm surprised you ain't dead." Emerald remarked. "Hey, bimbo. You mind putting your boss/girlfriend on the phone. Gonna need a favor." Mercury spoke. "What? She's not my girlfriend!" Emerald snapped. "Sure kissass, get Cinder on. I'll need some magic." Mercury ordered. "Ugh....you do remember the last time you used magic, right?"

Flashback to a large marble and oakwood mansion set ablaze and Mercury in cuffs. "What?! I thought this was a free country! I didn't do anything wrong!" Mercury drunkenly said after fighting a merchant with a magic pair of boots. The merchant in question was the guy who did take his last girlfriend and bragged about it in his face, but even scum don't deserve the brutal beating and destruction Drunk Mercury set upon him.

"Har. Har. I ain't in the mood to use magic. More like something to give too....." Mercury didn't want to finish that sentence. "Wait? Are you seriously considering gifting something to someone again? Even after Ab-"

"Please don't use the A name. You know what it does to me."

"Alright. Wait up. I'll get Cinder on the orb.

A couple of seconds later a new face appeared. "Why if it isn't Mercury? How were those boots I lend you?" Cinder coolly asked. "Fantastic. I was wondering if you can do the same, but with gloves. Also maybe I'll consider buying them again, and not just renting them." Mercury states. "Oh my. Aren't you loaded? That'll be 1 gold piece. Including a delivery fee of 50 silver." Cinder proposed. He was having second thoughts, but an image of a smiling Yang popped in his mind to seal the deal. He let his impulse play out by sliding in the coins in the base of the orb, which was sent to Cinder. "My my, she must be something else." Cinder giggled. "Please make sure they're not bootlegs. Pardon the pun." Mercury said. "Oh I assure you, with these, you'll get the real things. Those bootlegs were just child's play compared to what you're getting. Ta ta." Cinder hangs the orb up. "Huh...now I'm getting excited-"

Yang taps Mercury's shoulder, signaling him she's good to go. Mercury steps away to join her outside to the lily ponds. When they arrived, it was nearly sunset, the ponds were rather quiet and were crystal smooth. The lily pads were swaying within the lake, creating a rhythm in the lake making it breathe with life. Yang looks at Mercury. "I...I guess it's a bit touchy, but what did you saw when that sword nearly got you?" Yang asked. "Yang. What are you saying? You sound straight out of the cuckoo's house." Mercury didn't want to speak of the memory. "It looked like you saw the reaper when seeing that dark steel. I thought I was too late and you died in front of me. Please. Tell me." Yang said. Mercury looks down a bit. "Shitm...where to begin? Maybe it has to do with that damn black steel door." Mercury quipped. "Really?" Yang asked.

"Yeah...you see, my pops was basically the devil's hitman. If the demons of the world wanted to take sinners to hell with them, you basically sent him to deliver the bodies in prime time. Heh...It's how he got that stupid nickname. The one he just had to pass down to me. One day my dad just, came in the house more drunk the usual. I wouldn't actually say he was drinking that night. Naw....he was....on something. Like if he was fed madness. My mother, the saint she was, told me to go upstairs to the attic. I must've hidden there, lets say...a week. My mom was practically holding back my father. God....the whacking...it sounded like a storm was brewing below me. Finally, he finds me. His eyes glowing with blue hellfire. Those steel eyes I got from him were absent in this drugged state. Those blue peppers already told me what he was gonna do. He..." Mercury clutches his metal legs. "...he made sure I never ran up to the attic again. After the butchering he thought I was done being bedridden, so he made these. These literal chains that connect me to him more than flesh and blood. Well...let's say he had my mother do favors to make enough silver. I never saw her so broken. I knew my life was going to be ruled under him if I didn't do anything. Days pass and I just...just got really tired of it. He battered me down to make me a blade, a personal sidekick. I said 'fuck that', and ran with my now pregnant mom. I had to get her away from that man. He was probably going to make my sibling go under the same shit I did. I just..." Mercury tears start falling down. "...I wanted to do one good deed. Just fucking one. I would've been okay with going back to hell if it meant I had gotten her and my little sister out of there. But that devil, as if he snitched on me, broke whatever hope I had when running." Mercury painfully remembered red staining over a pregnant woman being his mother. This triggered a small blue hint in the steel eyes. "That fucker. ThAt MuthaFuckEr. HE ToOk mY hUmaNitY fRom Me. HeHeHaHaHaHaHa." Mercury was now cackling through his tears. Yang looks at Mercury a bit scared. "SoO, soooo...I tOoK tHe ButChEr fRom ThE DeViL. I sEnT hiM back to HeLl. I wAtCh tHaT sMug FaCe tUrN to a TeRrIfIeD tOdDlEr. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I KILLED FOR MY FREEDOM." Mercury was getting lost in his nightmares. Some voices started speaking in his ears, speaking insults, and luring out whatever demons Marcus gave him to come out. Mercury's eyes were still tearing up, but out of a subconscious impulse, he forced a large grin on his face.

Yang grew more distance, sensing some darkness just clawing out of him. "And then I got his job. I just had to butcher more. It never stops at just one Yang. People and voices, telling you what to and what not to do. It got to the point I was basically doing the shit just cuz I didn't seek cash. I wanted to send more down to join him. To join Marcus in that tormenting world I'll soon be with. If it means I get to see his scared shitless expression once again, I keep doing it." Mercury's eyes grew bluer and bluer. He starts shaking a bit. "...than...I...remember that Black steel door. That damn door that just held the literal hell within my home. I remembered my mom standing out of it, crying in defeat. I...didn't want to see her cry in my nightmares. So I finally stopped my crazed blood hunt. I turned myself into an asylum. They broke those demons out of me, and I finally got better...at least that's what I hope." Mercury looks down in shame. The blue starts to dim out and back into steel gray. Mercury felt dirty again, hugging himself in self-pity. "I...I guess today, I saw myself in that dark steel blade. I saw who I was. Who I am. And I froze. I just...started to accept I could never break away from that part of me, so I gave in. I was giving in to such a fate. You...you didn't let that happen. When you blocked that blade, I saw something else. I saw what years of asylum torture couldn't get me to see. Actual results. It snapped me back to being alive. It...got me wanting to live again." Mercury admits.

Yang looks at him not with pity, no longer in fear, but with honest yearning. She saw who he really was, a child like her who never got to grow in a good home. She goes for it, by slowly holding his head to stare in his tear-stained eyes. Mercury stars back in yearning lilac orbs he wanted to look into for one more second, but they closed slowly. Not because she wanted to go away, but because she was diving in for it. Yang took it. She took a kiss from him. Mercury surrendered to the warm feeling he felt in the kiss and deepens it. He holds her hair to give more and more of himself to her. He wanted the kiss to connect their worlds together. He was tired of being a sad butcher. He wanted to be what Yang saw him as, some sort of hero. He knew he couldn't be, but Yang didn't mind that. She was willing to deepen the kiss more. She didn't want some cut from the mill prince to kiss her, she wanted an honest man to sweep her away. They eventually pulled away to take a breath, but both of them melted back into the heating pot of their second kiss. Eventually, the two knew they had to stop, not wanting to ruin anything. Mercury starts to pull her in for a hug, and starts weeping. "Thank you Yang...thank you...thank you..." Mercury spoke through quiet cries. Yang brushed his hair and held a small smile. "Of course Mercury. I got you." Yang spoke softly, and Mercury just melted closer in the hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hopefully you guys can offer a bit more patients. This set of chapters are going to be part of a small 4 part saga in Kuchinashi, mostly to built up to their final voyage to Atlas. Woohoo. Chapters are going to be pushed to Thursdays now, cuz School. I do hope this wasn't getting people detoured from this story. Lemme know what to get done in the next two chapters. I promised to include the other seven characters by the time they all go to Atlas. Till then, stay safe and take care( ~[ ]~)


	6. Kuchinashi Side Quests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang is now more affectionate towards Mercury, which he is not used to yet. Maybe a double date can fix that. If only they had manuals on how to date with a dragonborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might make me go a bit crazy. I got multiple plot lines I wanna explore, but honestly I need to put more effort in the world building before establishing conflicts and drama. This might get my ass pinned by bumblebee wasps, but hey, the crazy die young!

"Evening Mr.Black! How were the lily pads?" Penny asked Mercury. Mercury was kinda out of his body, experiencing the kiss on replay in his mind while the two walked back into a Inn they rented.They group agreed to stay in a cozy inn to hide from the local authorities, considering this inn is very discrete with their customers. Mercury would snap out reality when Penny asked, but still had red cheeks.

"Huh? Oh. They were...something." Mercury admits before walking away from Yang to go to the men's room

Penny looks back at Mercury in confusion but is later dropped by her eyeing the fireflies outside. Ruby looks at Yang, who was basically turning red in the cheeks and currently levitating above the ground. Her mind was racing thanks to the kiss both of them share. "Yang? Are you okay?" Ruby asked concern. Blake snickered a bit. "Oh, Ruby. She's definitely more than okay." Blake winks at Ruby. Ruby puts two and two together. "Oh, Gods! Yang! What did you do?" Ruby asked, or more like teased at her older sister. Yang squeals before jumping on the bed, announcing to the girls that they shared a kiss. "We just kissed at the lily ponds!" Yang shrieked. Yang and Ruby now basically squealing at Yang's accomplishment. Blake smiles t the scene and scribbles this down. Weiss rolled her eyes. "You wanna say that to the whole village?" Weiss muttered. Yang covered her mouth. "Wait! What if he did so out of pity? What if we just didn't mean it? On goodness!" Yang was doubting herself. "Did he back down?" Blake asked. "No," Yang remembered. "There's your answer. It was indeed, genuine." Blake states.

Meanwhile, Mercury was currently rolling in his bed, squirming and getting gitty about it to himself. "Aw. Did I miss my chance to mess with you two again?" Sun asked. "You try that and whistle your brain to a fine paste. I can sing without a second thought!" Mercury threatens. "Wait. You sing?" Jaune asked. "Yeah! Do you?" Sun pressed on Mercury further. Mercury didn't want to amuse an answer, so he put out the lamp to pretend to sleep. The group of eight now sleep within the Inn, not knowing what monster lurks within it. The Inn harbors a very powerful monster. One that seduces man of weak will and basically cock teases them to death, draining their soul energy till the men turn into a complete husk.

The Succubus enters the men's room, picking her target. Mercury was strong-willed, but completely too broken from his last relationship to be a fine target. Sun was a spirit, which made it hard for her to drain since spirits are immune to succubus' influence. Then she looks at Jaune, a perfectly untouched virgin. She smirks to herself as she morphs to his fantasy, that being Weiss herself. 

Jaune wakes up in the middle of the night to see what he thinks is Weiss, sitting perfectly. "Weiss?" Jaune whispered. "Hey vomitboy~" The succubus purred. "Huh? Wait! What are you doing here?" Jaune whispered back at her. "Oh. I just felt so bad for our little discussion at the store~" The succubus was able to tap to his recent memory.

Back in the afternoon, Jaune was helping Ruby carry out some groceries for Weiss before he smelled one of the ingredients. A very strong pungent fruit that knocks his stomach out. Next thing he knew he was vomiting in the bag he carried. Weiss looked in disgust, now referring to him as vomit boy. The group also referred to Jaune as vomit boy after hearing the story. 

"Really?" Jaune asked. The Succubus nodded. "Of course. Now that it's out of the way, we can have some fun~" The Succubus purred. "Wait?! What about the others?!" Jaune asked. "What about them?" The Succubus purred. Jaune was piecing together the strange behavior and the real eyes she had, knowing this wasn't Weiss. "Wait! If your Weiss, then what do you call your friend?" Jaune asked. "Uh...Ruby? Her first name." The Succubus replied. Jaune instinctually pulled away. "Okay. Who are you really? You sure aren't Weiss. Weiss refers to her as her Dolt." Jaune argued. The small act gets dropped as she blinked her eyes to reveal emerald orbs. "Oh. A blonde smartie. You really do pay attention~" The Succubus backed off to transform to her honest form, being a redhead with battle scars and armor. "I guess we should get introductions out of the way. I am Pyrrha Nikos. The battle was born Succubus." Pyrrha announced. "H-hello." Jaune was a bit intimidated by her. Pyrrha smiled. "I see you know you can't get out of this, so let's get this out of the way. I'll make it quick for you." Pyrrha cooed. "W-well...at least I'll get to die by something pretty..." Jaune mustered out. Something unexpected happened, as the redhead turns her back at him to cope over the compliment. Not many Succubi get complimented for their true forms, and if they do they get flustered. Her wings wrap her around in a safe blanket of her own skin, rocking back and forth. Jaune walked up to see if Pyrrha was doing okay, even if she did threaten his life. "Are you okay?" Jaune asked. "I'm sorry." Pyrrha simply spoke. "Huh?" Jaune was now extremely confused. "N-normally I just hide my looks. I never was called pretty. They call my red hair ugly." Pyrrha sobbed softly, continuing to rock on the ground. Succubus is usually described as disgusting redheads because apparently red hair is seen as a sinful thing in the popular religion they live under. "What do you mean? You don't look bad with red hair. Actually, it suits you." Jaune speaks honestly. Pyrrha looks at Jaune with tearful eyes. "R-really?" Pyrrha asked. "Yep," Jaune admits. Pyrrha goes to hug Jaune, and Jaune gets tackled to the bed. Now Jaune is held hostage to an affectionate Succubus who holds him like an enlarged stuff animal, falling asleep in his bed. On the plus side, he isn't going to get cold. On the negative side, he is going to have a hard time explaining this.

In the morning, Mercury and Sun wake up to a strange sight. Them both being pulled back seeing the battle born succubus currently coddling Jaune close. "Hey, guys. Hope you like fried eyes. Pyr seems to like them." Jaune spoke. "What the fuck?" Mercury mustered out. Both Sun and Mercury didn't expect Jaune to be so calm around her. "What did we miss?" Sun asked. "A lot, but Pyr isn't half bad." Jaune defends Pyrrha. "Oh ho ho ho! That's bullshit! She's a damn succubus!" Mercury remarked. "And you're hanging out with Dragonborns, Puppets, and Spirits. You two have no room to speak about my friendships." Jaune remarked. Both Sun and Mercury stand silently in defeat as Pyrrha kept hugging Jaunes behind. "But really. What happened?" Mercury asked. "Eheh...it happened too quickly to recall." Jaune admits. 

The group would later reunite to meet Pyrrha. "Pyrrha Nikos?!" Weiss asked shocked. "You know her?" Ruby asked. "She's the current champion in the Remnent Circuit Tournament!" Weiss announced. "Wait?! There was a tournament?! I missed a tournament?!" Sun asked. "Anything can happen in 100 years." Blake remarked. Sun nodded to this.

Yang shakes hands with Pyrrha. "I have a question. Are Succubi normally found in inns?" Penny asked. "Oh. Well it's usually how we feed on men's essence." Pyrrha admits. Mercury takes 3 steps back. "Oh but we also sustain on normal food. It's just easier to get men's essence from weak fries." Pyrrha notes. Jaune also takes a step back. "W-wait! That came wrong! I'm sorry!" Pyrrha states. Jaune huffed and stepped back towards her. "I guess we can chat about it another time. So can she tag along?" Jaune asked. "What are you looking at me for?" Mercury asked. "You know why." Yang spoke sternly. Mercury sighed and nodded. "Sure. She's tagging along with us. Let's keep the recruitment at one a day." Mercury states. "That's good." Yang smiled at him. Mercury kept feeling weird with the weird feeling again, not knowing why. Maybe the kiss planted something in his dirt heart.

The group of eight later go to the local weapons shop. Pyrrha would look at the spear aile of the store with Ruby, both having a liking to them. Weiss and Jaune were going to the sword aile, checking their craftsmanship. Penny went to the ribbons. She seemed attached to using ribbons, since she has very good control over them. Sun and Blake checked the 'foreign' metals aile, mainly to get upgrades ok their current weapons. Mercury looks into the store, feeling oddly close to these people. Like they're somehow being add to a list of friends he would like to keep being friends with. "Hey Yang. I'm going to take a piss, than we'll head to the mailroom. I hope that's not an issue." Mercury spoke softly, almost timid. "Sure! Just don't take too long. Weiss does need to spend heed itch away you know." Yang smiled at him. Mercury smiled back before entering the restroom, and after handling business, he looks in the mirror for a moment. Revisiting his mind.

"I can't screw this up. There's now way I could." 

"...you did before. Don't try to uphold yourself to something you can't do."

"Yeah...but I think we are gonna be just fine."

"You can't say that. When did it ever-"

"I guess it started with her. With...moving on."

"You can't outrun that day Mercury. No matter how you try, you'll keep facing the memory over and over again. Why are you bei-"

"I'm done being sad about it. It's my mind. My rules. It can get tucked in the back. I need to make space for these memories. Ones I'll gladly play over and over again. Cuz at the end of the day, I can lay down and think, yeah, I did this. And it made me feel nice. I can even pull out some good memories from that time. Before I got royally screwed and say 'Yeah...they were nice.' I don't need to uphold myself to a standard that...well...dehumanizes me. I'm...no longer that person."

"Don't try to abandon yourself. You know you are."

"I'm not abandoning myself. I'm growing out of it. I could never get rid of it, but I can...well...do good."

"If you fail, I'll only get more and more powerful. You can't get rid of me."

"Sorry, but ya staying back in my subconscious. Get some sleep."

Mercury steps out and sees Yang, who pulled her in a hug. "Well Yang. I got some orders to pick up. Let's go." Mercury smirked at her after seeing her smile. The two walked down in the store's delivery room, and Mercury quipped up a "Hey mailman. Got a package under M.B?" 

The mailman nodded as he pulled a small chest. Mercury takes it and walks out with Yang. "What's in the chest?" The group asked individually, wanting to know. "Sorry. It's something I'll open later. You guys got what you need?" Mercury asked. The group did purchase their upgrades and weapons, now heading back to the inn. By the time they were out, it was 3 in the afternoon. The group decided to go back to the Inn and later head out again, mostly to store away what they bought in a larger chest. 

At the Inn, Mercury grabs a hold on Yang's sleeve. "Oi Blondie. Ya mind opening the chest? My arms are kinda busy carrying it." Mercury asked. "Oh. I guess so." Yang replied, as she later teared the top of the chest. Mercury got suprised at how quickly it was done, and mentally noted not to try to hide anything from her in a chest. It would be found later. The chest itself held two gloves and two boots, ones made with a gold coating and one with silver. Mercury would grow a smirk seeing her eyes light up. "Are those-" Yang asked over and over again, not being able to form words as she squeals over the gift. "Them gloves are lovely aren't they? Ya can keep them." Mercury sets the chest down to hand her the gloves. Yang quickly puts them on. "They feel smooth huh? I hope they a one size fit all type of ordeal. I kinda hope they were-"

Mercury was cut by Yang pulling him for a peppermint of kisses. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Yang squealed at him. Mercury couldn't help but cackle softly, holding a wiggle of a smile due to the cardiac overload of affection Yang handed to him. Mercury later puts on the silver boots, getting a feel of how lightweight they were. "Well blondie. Ya got the gold. I got the silver. Consider us a power duo." Mercury thinks outloud. When they realized what he said, both turned away from each other to hide their blushes under their hands, Mercury cussing in his mind.

The group walks in to see what was going down due to the squeals, only to find a levitating Yang and a sunken Mercury rolling up and down the ceiling and floor. "Well damn. The two got down quick with the gifts." Blake said. "Well...guess we all ready for the trip out, right?" Ruby inquired. "What you mean?" Mercury asked after hearing that. "Yeah. We all going out. Like a group date." Runy replied.

"Date"

"DaTe"

That one word stings into Mercury's deep memory of his last date, one that wasn't really pleasant nor really what he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya getting 2 chapters this week. My treat. [>:>]
> 
> Yes. I may just be trying to fend of Gauntlets and Greaves drought by splashing more chapters in like others have done, but hey, Yea gotta make sure the plant gets enough water >:]


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly a flashback to when Mercury had his late date followed by the group dragging him out of his flashback. Let's hope it works

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's say college got my nerves working again. A bit overload but hey, let's see if it works. Later down the line I may have problems keeping up with all of these characters, so I might break them off to smaller groups and give chapters to each group to futhur develop their bonds. Till than enjoy this chapter, hoping it didn't sour any of you.

'Chop'

'Slash'

'Knot'

A thin layer of oak wood skin was tightened by some tenderized wood fibers to hold a bouquet of flowers. A familiar silver head treads across the oaks and pines, hiding under foliage to get rabbits for his beloved. His heart always seems to be beating in a rhythm similar to music, as he pulled the bowstring and aimed an arrow, pointing at a rabbit. One arrow to the heart took it out quickly and painlessly, only twitching from muscle spasm. "Thank you good father almighty. I pray this is a good one!" Mercury remarked to himself, clapping his hands together in a short prayer. The silver head adds it to a bag of two or three other rabbits. It was his anniversary with his love after all, and it would be a group date with his best friends.

Mercury smiles happily seeing butterflies and other critters as what they were and more, frolicking like a damn Disney princess. The silver head kept frolicking till he arrived at the village, switching from frolics to simple skips. Mercury waves at his fellow villagers with a smile on his face. Though the smile was somewhat unnerving to the neighbors, they knew it had no danger behind the wide smile. "Hey there Mr.Dungbeet! Hope those potatoes are ripe for the picking by fall! I just love your wife's famous potato stew! Keep me in touch!" Mercury remarked to his elder neighbors chuckling lightly. The neighbors waved back.

"Of course lad! Keep our homes safe and we got ourselves a deal!" Mr.Dungbeet replied. Mrs.Dungbeet whispered to Mr.Dungbeet with "Does he know about it?" Mr.Dungbeet sweats a bit and turned to his wife to hush it quickly. "It'll drive any good lad mad. Let's pray he doesn't." Mr.Dungbeet whispered back.

Mercury walks into his hut, seeing his petite but fair partner chopping some crops to make rabbit stew with the kills. Mercury sets the bag on a stone tab behind her and would later cover her eyes with the flowers.

"Guess who?" Mercury cheerfully remarked.

"Oh my. Who may I ask holds a silk voice like your fair gent?"

"I'll give ya a hint. It starts with M. E. R. C"

"And ends with -cutie! My Mercury is home!"

The petite gal turns to kiss him softly. Mercury melts into the kiss and poured some of his overbuilding supply of love. The girl pulls back to smile at her. "These flowers will go swell in the stew. Thanks, Mercutie!" She giggled. "Of course Abigail! You know I can pick em right! Always right!" Mercury remarked rubbing her behind. Abigail slaps his chest playfully. "Not yet baby. Your friends are coming over after all. We can't scare them away with our love." Abigail replied playfully. "Oh, Em doesn't mind at all. And Hugo would turn the other cheek like the whipped boy he is." Mercury remarked with a smirk. Abigail nodded a bit. They then hear some taps on the door. 

Mercury goes to it and opens the door to reveal Emerald and Hugo. "Oi Merc," Emerald said, holding some prepped loaves to accompanied the stew. "Lovely seeing you two here! It's always lovely here!" Mercury almost sang. Emerald showed her disdain for the physical display of his life for life, but notes it was better than what he was like before. Hugo waves at Abigail and she waved back, as Hugo's hands some china over to her. The four of them would share their meal together in the afternoon, having laughter and songs play in the hut like a melody. When they were done Mercury looks at the Solar clock, reminded he had a quick quest he had to do. 

"Gotta go baby. I'll get the dishes clean when I get back." Mercury kissed Abigail's cheek. "Okay, dear. Be safe." Abigail spoke softly. Mercury gave her a trademark smirk. "Of course. I'm invincible!" Mercury quipped before dashing ahead. "Well, I'll keep him on a leash Ab. Don't get crazy." Emerald said. "Of course." Abigail flashed a smile at her. Emerald looks to pass it and noticed Hugo and Abigail were sitting a bit too close, but she played it off knowing her issues might've been bouncing out of the picture. Emerald tags behind Mercury and they spend the afternoon clearing some Beowulf Grimm under their title, the Jaded Duo. Mercury made up the cheesy but honest codename for their pair up due to their efficiency.

"You know Em. I count my stars every night since I met Abby. She's like the night sky for me." Mercury quipped after dealing with the last of the Beowulf. "Yeah yeah, you tell me that every night. Look, we should head back. Abigail can get a bit impatient when it comes to these things." Emerald remarked. "Yeah...she always did think we weren't just friends. But I played it off as, well, a bit of sensible nonsense so to speak. I know deep down we wouldn't do anything like that to each other. She's my world after all!" Mercury smiles at Emerald. Emerald swore a kitten literally rolled over Its nine lives and died but knew it wasn't his fault. At least she hoped not, with the creepy but emotional filled smile. Emerald couldn't help but smile back. "Jeez, Loverboy. Don't go soft on me just yet. We still have to chat with the guild master." Emerald reminded him. "Right!" Mercury remembered and dashed ahead. "Hey! Wait up jackass!" Emerald shouted as she tried to keep up. "You're always the slow one Em! C'mon now! Keep up!" Mercury laughed playfully.

In the evening, the two were walking back a bit sooner than Abigail thought, but she was preoccupied. Let's say Mercury was hearing someone else's moans alongside Abigail when he was at the door. Mercury froze solid. His heart was growing from a malleable liquid filling machine to a solidly frozen husk of metal. "Mercury wha-" Emerald soon heard it too. "Oh, God. Mercury. I didn't think that-! I didn't believe any-"

"......who has left with Abigail again?" Mercury coldly said. Emerald looked at him with a bit of fear. "I dunno," Emerald replied. "Emerald Sustria. Remind me. Who was last with Abigail?" Mercury said almost irritated. "I- I think it was Hugo. But he must've left after we d-"

"HUGO!!!!!" Mercury kicked into his own home, to see his two best friends, his family, stab knives into his heart. It was plain as day that they were indeed having an affair, and Mercury broke down there and then. Some tears were falling from his cheeks in shock. "...A-abi?" Mercury spoke shamefully. "Mercury! This isn't what it looks like!" Abigail shouts while stopping what she was doing with Hugo, covering herself in the robes. "Oh yeah. Do tell me. Did you fall on his dick?!" Emerald spoke offensively. Abigail snaps at her. "Who the fuck are you to tell me what it looks like?! I'm sure you took my Mercutie to sleep with you! I bet you two were fucking behind my back!" Abigail shouted. "You have no way of knowing that!" Emerald shouts.

Mercury wasn't feeling anything. He didn't know what was it. The image of Hugo slamming into Abigail. Abigail's pleas. The bickering between his love and his best friend. Something along those actions causes his heart to break into pieces. He wasn't feeling sad. Not angry. Not shock. Not sick. Definitely not happy. It was...cold. He was feeling nothing. Mercury backs away while Emerald and Abigail were in a heated shouting fight, reminded of Marcus and Talerina and ran away. "Mercury wait!" Abigail shouts. "We ain't done bitch!" Emerald slaps her to get her attention. The two continued to argue in his home, and all Mercury did was go to the gate's corner, shiver, then cry himself to sleep. When he woke up, his mind attacked him with a bombardment of suggestions.

Kill Abigail. Kill Hugo. Kill something! Break something! Break their money. These thoughts of revenge were hurting him since he wasn't going to hurt his liver and friend. They were his lover and friend. Mercury remembered the image, and those thoughts started to make sense. Too much sense to ignore. He later cracked his body to trek to Cinder's magic shop. Cinder was currently tightening some magic flowers with wood fibers to put them in a vase. Mercury's metal feet clank onto the stone floor. Cinder's ears perk up and see him. "Oh. How may I help you?" Cinder cooed at a heat filled Mercury. "...ya got those boots still our for rent?" Mercury asked with his teeth grit while forming a deviant grin. His body was acting as his own, and Cinder encouraged it with her smile and words. "Why yes, we do? Wanna take them us for a demonstration?"

____________________________________________

Back in reality the word 'date' starts to cause Mercury's physical pain. His legs buckle under his weight and fall down. "Mercury? Mercury!" Yang almost shouts as she catches and shakes him. "Ugh...head...head's going a blunder. Must...keep...eyes...open." Mercury groaned. "Geez. What's gotten into him. All we said is that we're going out as a group on a group date-" Weiss spoke before Mercury's groans more in pain. "Wow. That word must've been really cursed if it causes him to turn like this." Blake remarked. "What? Dat-"

"Guys stop it! Mercury! Merc! Stay with us damnit!" Yang cuts Jaune from finishing and shakes Mercury violently, trying to keep him up. Mercury grovels in the pain that word brings. "Jeez. It got him sick!" Sun goes to grab some herbs they stored in a chest kit. Mercury is wheezing in panic and pain. The word is ringing in his head, followed by the image of Abigail's affair and the screaming. He was having a panic attack in Yang's arms. Sun got the herbs and worth Yang's help ignites them to create a lax incense. The incense was doing Its job slowly, but surely, Mercury was relaxing more and more. Yang breathes in relief as he got more and more relaxed. Yang hugs him close. "What happened Merc?" Yang whispered. "....Abigail...I saw her again..." Mercury replied. "Who's Abigail?" Yang asked. The group leans in to listen. "...my...my previous...previous love..." Mercury replied before falling asleep. The group felt heat brewing in Yang, her eyes fixated and dilated on Mercury.

"Okay...let's all go out and leave Mercury be. Till he gains consciousness. Okay? Okay." Ruby spoke up. "...fine." Yang huffed and drops the snoring Mercury on the floor with no care.

____________________________________________

The next day, Mercury finds himself at a claw point. Yang was visibly frustrated. "Blondie? What-" 

"Don't give me that Blondie crap now. Tell me who's Abigail." 

"....I don't wanna talk-"

"Tell me now Merc! Before I cut those eyes out!" Yang roared. Mercury keeps quiet for a bit but would open his mouth after Yang huffed some anger out.

"Ya really wanna know? Fine. She's my ex-lover okay? Yeah. We had sex once, but she never got pregnant. I never got a chance to marry her, nor have her entire love. Didn't get to meet her parents. Nor did I understand why she fucked my best friend for 5 months while being with me. Is that what ya wanna hear?"

Silence crept in the room a bit too quickly for Mercury. "WELL? SPEAK UP!"

"...thank you."

Mercury was definitely put off by this. "Uhh? What-"

"..thank you Mercury. I...I got scared. Scared she took you from me." Yang admits. Mercury stars at her a bit bamboozled. "...Yang...Abigail took me in, had me in the dark, then kicked me out when it was lit up. You definitely didn't lose me Blondie." Mercury smirked a bit at her. Yang gave a small one back and cuddled close. The group was later visible to Mercury after their small moment of a hug, and the two were put off being spectacles of their friends. "What is this? A play? Look the other way!" Mercury whispered harshly at them, and the group did.

Afterwards, they all sat down in one of the larger tables of the Inn. "So...we agree to avoid the D word?" Jaune asked. "Agreed. As long as it's within the earshot of Mercury." Blake replied. The group unanimously approved of it. "Gee. I didn't think I would...ya know...see that again after we broke off." Mercury admits. "I promise we'll get over it someday," Yang spoke up. "Yeah...we sure will need all the time-" Mercury quickly remembered the reason why he was trekking alongside them in the first place and stood up.

"AAAAHHHH!!! THE FUCKING SCROLLS!!! WHERE ARE THEY?!?" Mercury goes into his bag and pulls them out. "SHIT! OUR CONTRACT EXPIRES IN THREE WEEKS! DA FAQ ARE WE DOING HAVING A LAX BREAKFAST LIKE THIS!?! EVERYONE GET TO GRUBBING!!" Mercury tries wolfing down his meal but chokes midway, having Yang lodge it out and land on a finger's hair. Mercury wheezes heavily trying to catch his breath.

While the group recuperates, the Ginger in question starts to spark up, and thunder clouds can be heard inside. A small shaking vibrates within the inn. "Nora...please...we're inside-" The Ginger's partner tries to calm her down before she stands up and strikes at Mercury with a shock filled hammer. "WHO DARE DEFIES THY HAIR OF NORA VALKYRIE!?!" Nora roared out. Yang was personally attacked by the constant visual of Mercury getting hurt two days in a row, and combust into flames. "YOU DARE HURT MY MAN YA CRAZY GINGER?!?" Yang roared back. "Oh. Oh shit." Jaune remarked a bit scared before fire and lighting collided into a fury of punches. 

The blonde Dragonborn would be throwing hooks at the ginger thunder demigod, as the demigod kept dodging the hooks with the ease of air. The demigod kept her eyes on Yang's fists, ensuring that they never landed on her. When it was Nora's turn to throw a punch, she was quickly caught and headbutted by Yang. The two kept at the harsh exchange, spewing fire and thunder across the inn room. The group gets the other civilians out of it and with the second stranger's help, we're able to keep the fire and lighting from harming anyone. The fight kept dragging out for minutes till the two fighters were exhausted.

The ginger demigod and blonde Dragonborn were huffing heavy. "Dragonborn. May I acquire though name?" Nora asked huffing. "Yang. What about you?" Yang asked huffing. "Valkyrie. Nora Valkyrie." Nora replied. The two chuckled a bit while huffing then got up to shake hands with testosterone-filled hands. Mercury gets up. "Uhh...what the hell happened?" Mercury groaned. Yang goes and hugs tackles, Mercury. "Thank god you're safe!" Yang spoke his ear almost deaf. "Yeah...same here..." Mercury was choking due to her death grip. Nora goes to them. "Thy apologizes for thy behavior. I see you had no ill will when chucking food at me, but was instead choking and was saved by your Fair ally." Nora remarked. "Whaaaa?" Mercury mustered in his air depleted mind. Yang lets him breathe. 

The second stranger walked in, and Nora goes to him. "Ren! We might be having a chance to get allies for our just crusade against our foes! Yang is strong, and if her allies are as strong or stronger, we may have a chance!" Nora squealed. "Nora please...we first need to tend to the Inn's condition you two put through beforehand. Speak of this afterward." Ren notes. Nora pouted but nodded. After basically getting the damaged Inn fixed and introductions were under the way, the group hears the two's situation.

"Fellow warriors! Our just crusade needs your help! We are facing a great beast hiding in Argus. We will award you justly and handsomely if you agree!" Nora remarked. "Is that so?" Mercury asked. "Yes. The quest is five hundred thousand liens. Divided amongst the 9 of us, it's well over fifty-five thousand liens for each of you." Ren notes. Mercury process this is his mind and speaks for the group. "...HELL YEAH WE WILL! THE SCROLLS CAN WAIT A WEEK OR TWO MORE!" Mercury agreed. "Whaaa?! What about the scrolls?" Blake asked. "As Mercury said, they can wait. Besides, I wanna crack at the monster they're talking about." Yang remarked. "What if it's a dark beast?! We don't have the equipment for it!" Weiss asked. "I assure you I will train you all in case it is one. I have plenty of experience handling such beings." Pyrrha spoke.

"What are dark beasts? Are they like Grimm?" Jaune asked. "Well...let's put it like this. If you get a Grimm and a Dragon to breed into Cancer and it births out your worst nightmares multiplied by the unholy birth, that's what it results in." Ruby remarked. Mercury hears this. "...I may have made a mistake." Mercury thinks to himself. "Than let's hurry travelers! Onward!" Nora yells to the skies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for checking in. Hope you enjoyed it. I know I'll have to shorten down the later chapters. Can't be handing manuscripts worth of words in one chapter. Hopefully, it didn't take too much of your time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group enters into more woods heading to Argus. They get lost real quick, and maybe this will test them in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Now that I kept up with my schedule, Imma look back at my previous chapters to see how far I went-
> 
> *Read Chapter 7 again*
> 
> .....5 weeks man. Had it. I had it.
> 
> To be honest, I can't justify what madness you experience in the prior chapter. I was definitely going mad with my nerves working up, so I hope I can pick myself up after the fall that was chapter 7. I swear I thought that would've been one of the better ones. I was dead wrong. CRWBY dead wrong.
> 
> Lemme just hopes this will repay you guys for my prior mistake. I'll admit experimentation is a risky thing. Won't stop me from future experiments, but hey, when you're on the ground, the only way out is up and forward!
> 
> *cue transitional music*  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning sky was a doozy. The blends of orange and red fading out the lunar purple brings a glow on Kuchinashi. The ponds were absorbing the blend perfectly to a point the water shined like gold, the once teal and hazel houses were coated with the poping haze of orange, and the songs of the various birdlife rang through the town. This sight was taken in by an early bird that was Mercury, not being able to stay asleep for long due to his past, but it gave him an excuse to view it as it arrives. Though he wasn't alone on this occasion, as a somewhat tired but accommodating Yang joined him to watch it.

"Well, Blondie. Hope ya um, aren't too upset over what happened, ya know, with the...the whole A thing."

"Hm? Why would I be?"

"Eheh...I surely was...not my best self."

"Yeah, but it was something neither of us wanted to hear."

"I guess? By the way, if we do get paid for this monster hunting quest, what is it that are you gonna do with the lien?"

"Oh....well...It's rather...stupid really."

"Don't say that. I'm sure it's gonna be as stunning as you are this fine morning."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere near what I am thinking of."

"Okay. If you don't wanna bring it up now, then maybe afterward?"

"Yeah, maybe after. It's just nice not being spied over by the gang."

A loud crunch breaks the moment as ginger with loads of apples in one arm munches more loudly. 

"At least it wasn't the whole group this time." Mercury murmured to himself rather bugged by it. "Can you not be louder with the biting?" Mercury asked, to which Nora replied with a louder crunch. Ren does pop out. "There you are Lady Valkyrie. I was hoping you don't stray too far. This place is rather big." Ren notes. "But it's your hometown, and I'm sure a man like you can help a woman like me out with, taking a few corners." Nora playfully states. "Not the time of the day, we do need to start packing," Ren notes. Mercury feels the strange tension build-up and tries to get away from it. "Okay. Gonna get the others up. Let's...uh...not get this further postpOne?" Mercury coughs into his fist to cover up his crack. 

The silver head walks into the Inn to wake up Jaune and Sun. "Oi. Time to wake up. Sun raised yesterday." Mercury states as he pulls the covers off of Sun, who was only in his pants. "Hnnnn....ten more m-" 

"The hell with that! We got a monster to slay and places to lay in another time. Get ya butts out of the bed now!" Mercury quickly shot back. Sun worms out of the bed and yawns, scratching his head with his tail. Jaune was more than ready to go, already packing his stuff. "Heh. Force of habit I guess." Jaune notes. "Well...at least the two of us get it," Mercury notes. "What does that mean?" Sun called out. "It means you should've been ready when ya namesakes shined out of your window. We'll be late if you don't change into your clothes." Mercury notes. "Hmph. Whatever man." Sun rolled his eyes and changes.

Yang had it a bit easier but did struggle with Weiss. "C'mon Princess. We need to get to Argus by the third nightfall." Yang states. "Carry me then, but I am not leaving the bed." Weiss barked. "Oh-kay! Ruby! Get the bag." Yang states. "What bag?" Ruby asked. "You know the one," Yang remarked. Ruby's eyes lit up a bit as she grabbed the round bag. Blake was on the other hand, very scared as Yang pulled out...

A corgi. The corgi gets dropped onto Weiss' stomach and would be barking at her. "Fine! Fine! I'm up!" Weiss groaned. Pyrrha would be with Ren and Nora as she issued Jaune to sit alongside the three. The other four girls sat alongside them, and afterward, the other two strays come crashing in.

"Hey, Bellé." Sun groaned. Blake let off a small chuckle. "I guess you two were planning something, did it work out?" Blake asked. "No...not in the slightest," Sun replied with a groan. Mercury came out with his hair blown up and moving side to side, as the experiment blasted at Sun and Mercury's face. Yang looks and tries to hold her laughter. "Well...it sure was mind-blowing. Gotta say...it sure blew expectations!" Yang was holding her laughter poorly. Mercury flatly looked at her. "Something like that. Hope we're good to go-" Mercury feels something impacting his leg. He looks down to see a Corgi attacking his tin legs. He picks it up to look at it. It licks his face a bit

"......got a name little guy?"

"Zwei. He's called Zwei." Ruby states. "....well...let's get going." Mercury sets him near Ruby quietly, trying not to express his feelings. 

Later on, the group heads out of Kuchinashi to enter into the woodlands towards Argus. The group was hoping to travel through the forest within the week in order to use as much time they have to get the dark beast slain and the package delivered by the end of the month. It was going according to plan, Penny being the compass moving onward for them. Nora and Ren remarked how easy it was for her.

"It's impressive how well suited she is for this terrain. Especially while being wrapped with her ribbons. " Ren noticed. "Well, that's due to her joints and her shoes. They're not exactly as delicate as she seems." Ruby comments as Penny was able to roam horizontally on some trees. She was going a bit out of their range, so Ruby opted to catch up to her, along with Weiss. Blake and Sun shortly followed, hoping not to get lost in the woods. 

Mercury was looking around, noting they entered the same track a moment prior. "....funny...these look very familiar," Mercury recalled to Yang. "What do you mean? The woods hosts unique trees. You can't say we pass one tree twice since each tree is uniquely grown in these parts of the woods." Yang explained off his superstition. "Yeah...but you can't argue that we passed that one twenty minutes ago," Mercury states, pointing to one tree they did pass a while back. The tree they saw twenty minutes ago grew up to resemble a gargoyle. The gargoyle oak tree was in the center of the area they were in. Yang instantly became alert to their surroundings.

"Okay. Let's just keep up with the others and-"

"They went ahead of us to get Penny. The blonde lad and his redhead followed the ginger and lily pad after Ruby and the others, later on, so basically, we are lost and alone."

"Oh no."

"Oh yeah. We are lost in an ever-changing forest."

About fifty miles to the east of where Mercury and Yang were, Nora was ahead of the other three who were looking for Ruby and her friends. "Guys. We should probably slow down." Pyrrha said. "Hm? How come?" Ren asked. Pyrrha points behind them to Jaune who is barely keeping up while having the large backpack behind them. Ren notes this and tells Nora to stop. Afterward, Pyrrha would fall back to go to Jaune to see if he was Okay. "I'm fine. Let's just find the others before they get lost." Jaune excused. "You need to rest. You can't catch up to them with half of your stamina." Pyrrha spoke softly. "I just...we need to keep going," Jaune said before the hag forces him down. "The bag has spoken blonde one." Nora states. "Agreed. We will do what the bag says. We'll rest." Pyrrha spoke and used the bag excuse to lay beside Jaune. Jaune blushes a bit but lets this happen.

Sixty miles ahead of Mercury and Yang, Penny would stop at the end of the woods, and turns around to see Ruby and Weiss behind her. "Salutations! We have made it out of the forest!" Penny innocently said. "Penny! We left the others behind!" Ruby whined as her feet were aching. "I tell you to get shoes to fit those lizard feet of yours. Do you listen? Nooo! It just to cramp in the toe area! A terrible inconvenience that made you sacrifice comfortable footwear." Weiss groaned. "But they are! Have you tried using them?!" Ruby shot back. "You dolt. I am wearing them, Right. Now." Weiss points down to her hiking shoes. "Oh yeah. I guess that makes some sense." Ruby pressed her fingers together. Weiss would push Ruby onto a rock, causing her to land on her butt in a painful manner. Before anything could be said, Weiss quickly tended to Ruby's feet, cracking any tension building up and patching any bruises that showed. "Don't say I didn't warn you when we headed here. You should consider getting some shoes when we're at Argus. Are we clear?" Weiss barked. "Uhhh...." Ruby was blushing a bit, mostly surprised by the strange tenderness Weiss was displaying. Penny opted to extend her seamlessly long ribbons to find the others, using some of her nerves connected to the ribbons to get a feel of where the others are.

About fifty-five miles away from Mercury and Yang, Sun was looking for the others above the treeline. "See anything?!" Blake called us. "Trees. Trees. And more trees. As for any of our radical buddies, none so far." Sun hops down with the assistance of Ryin (which will be referring to his staff from now on. It's short and memorable). Blake huffed a bit in defeat. "Great. I know nothing about the terrain here. It's different from the woods beforehand. Nothing familiar about this place at all. If only I got a better read of this place before we entered, maybe we wouldn't have gone lost." Blake partially blames herself. Sun would look at her level and attempt to assure her that wasn't the case. "C'mon now. You aren't responsible for what the woods look like. We spirits aren't nature's guides. On the bright side, I'm sure your friends caught up to the perk who ran off ahead about ten minutes ago. We should get a better shot of getting out of the woods if we travel through the trees. Afterward, we can light a fire to smoke signal the others." Sun suggests.

Blake looks up and smiled a bit. "Yeah...that could wo-" Blake was cut short by Penny's ribbon reaching her leg and yanking her upside down. Her first reaction was to hide her, less than appropriate undergarments from Sun. It was however a second too late, as Sun forever sketched that image into the subconscious and conscious memory, making him go from his tan to a dark red. "Penny! Put me down!" Blake called in vain before tugging at it, which causes the ribbon to yank her away. Sun was quick to follow her, occasionally hitting himself with multiple branch foliage before finding himself with the other four who made it out.

"That's five. Six more to go." Ruby counts and smiles at the two. "What the hell were you thinking? We thought a snake got me!" Blake spoke embarrassed. "My apologies! I intended to grab an arm to tug you safely out of there. I must've not felt the situation properly." Penny remarked. "Oh, I'll give you something to feel alright." Blake murmured. 

Meanwhile, Yang and Mercury try tracking the footprints of their friends. Both were not able to find the prints on the ground, so they opted to find any cracked branches. "Okay. I'm officially freaked out." Mercury states. "It doesn't make sense. There should be footprints! Where are the footprints!?" Yang was freaking out as well? Mercury was quick to hold her, or at least try to, with the tail basically now wrapped around him like an arm squeezing a teddy bear. "Yang...ease up!...ease up!" Mercury squealed. Yang drops him and apologizes quickly, hugging him close. Mercury was quick to do so, knowing she was as scared as he was. "It's fine Yang. We should just relax before trying anything irrational." Mercury notes. "Irrational? I am not irrational!" Yang defended herself. "I didn't say that! I said we shouldn't get reckless." Mercury states. "I will not be labeled as such!" Yang bickered. "I wasn't going to! Gah! I'm too hangry to deal with this!" Mercury barks out loud. "Oh, gods! I could kill for some meat..." Yang agreed, holding her stomach. "Well...we might have to. Our bag is running low." Mercury agreed to hold their light bag. Yang and Mercury knew they had to keep moving, so they did. It took them five miles of walking to find some berries. When they did Mercury was quick to bite in. "These are good! Real good!" Mercury notes.

Yang takes a sniff and notes they aren't poisonous, so she took some sparely. The two did finish the bush supply of berries in one sitting. "Phew...that was a good side dish. Maybe we can find some rabbits to...too..." Yang was having a hard time finishing that sentence. "Blondie? Blondie?" Mercury waved his hand in front of her and noted that his hands were multiplying in front of her. "Woah! Goldie Locks! My hands! They're reproducing like rabbits!" Mercury spoke in awe. Yang looked down and her hands were moving on their own. "Woah! They're doing dances!" Yang states. "Yeah, they are! Wait? Yang? Did your lips move?" Mercury asked. "No? Did your- Wait! Your lips are gone!" Yang points out! Mercury felt his lips disappeared. "Oh, gods! My mouth! Where's my mouth?" Mercury was panicking?

In reality, the two were found by Penny's ribbons, and we're going through the motions of the neural medicinals that took them one. "The berries here are used to make a special powder most of Kuchinashi's residences use on a recreational basis. It seems the two of them a bashful." Penny states. "How long will it take for it to wear off?" Blake asked. "Oh. About half of the day." Penny states. The group now waits for the remaining four.

About ten miles away from the group, the team of four was unable to find footprints. "Okay, so tracking them down by foot is gonna be a challenge. Maybe there's a smoke alarm up?" Ren pondered. Pyrrha would go up the treeline to see that there was indeed a campfire lit up where the group was. "Okay. It seems there is. Ten miles to the north." Pyrrha said." Thanks, Pyr." Jaime spoke to her. Pyrrha blushed a bit. "Of course! It's nothing!" Pyrrha played it off as cool as she could. Nora would opt to drag Ren north, and Pyrrha would help Jaune with the luggage.

After the ten hours wasted in the forest, mainly due to how much of a pain it was to travel through it without Penny' ribbons, the group would be now resting near the campfire. Or at least, most of them.

"Hey, Yang? Why are we here?"

"I think cuz of that scroll job you took?" 

"Oh yeah...I'm...glad I was able to drag you along..."

"Really?"

"Yeah...ya made it manageable to travel across this place. Mostly cuz I used to hate long trips."

"I am still having a hard time getting over you without a mouth."

"Oh yeah? What if I try using yours?"

"Is that really the best pick up line you got?"

"Is it working?"

"Hm, I would be calling myself a liar if I said no."

The two leaned closer to steal another kiss from another, though due to the hallucinogenic berries they were on, both thought their faces were sealed together and panicked as they pulled off. Afterward, the two did share a chuckle. 

"Oh man, we are gonna fall soo bad."

"Hey, let's try to enjoy this Mr.Tinlegs. It's a nice feeling so high up in the sky."

"Yeah...we ain't ever doing this again, are we?"

"Definitely not!"

"Thought so."

Mercury held a smile throughout their hallucinations they shared together since it did help make the stars more inviting than before


	9. Argus Monstrosity: The Onyx Titanous Leviathan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some drama leading to Monster fight. 'Nuff said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Time to take the action seriously. Prior to this, the action wasn't really much focused, as I did try to focus more on the relations and a bit on the world, but it's about time we get it done. 'Nuff said for now, hope y'all enjoy this.

Yang was having a small nightmare. She started to cling onto Mercury closer than usual.

In her dream, there was a woman. A woman without a face, though she felt close to her. The figure stays away from the light, hiding in the dark with her raven hair. The figure then starts to sing in the twilight of the stars above them. The constellations of past dragons dance around the figure.

_"Hush now...dear baby_ _...please sleep still as you dream...listen now to this lullaby...sleep now, as this lulls you up a gleam... "_

_"Dear fire...dear fire, keep her warm for me...her embers glow, a sister of arms...dear fire...dear fire...keep her safe for me...dear fire...dear fire...my hands are too stained, ready to be set ablaze...Dear fire...dear fire...keep her close and bare her...as I know you did for me..."_

_"Sleep now...my dear kindle...let monsters twindle before you...sleep now...my dear kindle...I'll sees you...see you...in your dreams..."_

Yang starts to tear up in the outside world. Mercury felt some water come down on his hair, waking up to see Yang crying in her sleep. Mercury didn't know what to do about this, so he tugged her lightly and carefully.

"Blondie?...blondie?"

Mercury scoots up from the tail and wraps around her carefully. He later starts to feel a pain in his chest, as Yang's breathing starts to grow rapidly and embers start to ignite inside her mouth. 

"Blondie! Yang! Wake up!"

Yang's eyes shoot open and reveal tear-filled rubies. She looks up at a very worried Mercury. She looks down at his chest, seeing the burnt shirt and the skin lightly burned.

"...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Yang whimpered a bit in his chest, tearing up near the burnt part of his chest. Mercury runs his hand softly on her blonde mane, allowing her to release all of her tears. 

"Yang...how bad was it?"

"...what?"

"The dream...how bad was it?"

"...I don't wanna talk about it..."

"...you can run away from it forever...It's gonna burn you fr-"

"I'm not running away from it! I'm running after it!" Yang roared out at him. Mercury looks shocked. "After it? Blondie, what's it?"

"...it's...someone...she...haunts my dreams...with that stupid lullaby..." Yang admits. Mercury recalls the tale that Yang lived in, and remembered the woman who was her father's first wife.

"...was it that woman? The...uh...I wanna say...incubate-" Yang nuzzled to Mercury a bit closer to press his question down, wrapping around him. "...I don't wanna talk about it..."

"...okay..." Mercury simply answered, knowing he pushed on her enough. The two were still in the embrace as the others woke up.

"Hey, sis!" Ruby perked up, which somehow never did fail to bring Yang up. It may seem off for half-sisters to affect each other like this, but knowing her kin is still around, Yang smiled back. "Morning Lil sis! Ya slept well?" Yang asked as she stood up and rustled her up. Mercury was anything but worried now, as she seemed to burst out of the depression bubble the dream got her trapped in. It was quickly dealt with as it blew in. The others did get up and got their things ready to get into Argus.

The trail down to Argus was a rather pleasant one, as the season starts to bear actual features. No longer did the dry and dense woods were fluid in the greens beforehand. Now they were affected by a cold and damp climate, one that tops the hibernating trees with piles of snow. The Dragonborn was affected by it, as both huddled close to each other as one ignites a fire to keep warm. The Ice Queen was unaffected by the cold, as it never bothers an Ice fairy. The two spirits started to grow hair to compensate for the cold climate almost spontaneously. The Succubus and Demigod were already in their winter outfits for the time being.

"How?! How is it so cold!? It was summer back at Kuchinashi!" Ruby whined. "Argus is one of the only places in Mistral that is snowy year-round. Atlas isn't that different." Penny remarked. "Remind me to buy proper weather clothing for you two when we get there," Mercury notes. He then recalls Jaune and the spirits who looked like they could use a shave. "...and razors and add ons...for the three of you..." Mercury added. 

The group reaches the packed streets of Argus within the hour, merchants hustling to sell their products, buyers, and retailers making and breaking business. Mercury was a bit nervous around a big crowd, as his expression grew more rigid. He then sees the fur coats he knew he had to buy, so he ventured off from the group.

"Wait up! Hey! I got-"

Mercury freezes still as he recognized the short brown hair. The hazel eyes look back at him and instantly held fear. 

"...M-Mercury..."

"...hey...Hugo..."

The group dispersed and scattered, mostly agreeing to meet at the guildhall to submit the scroll for the hunt at a later time. Yang then noticed Mercury was missing, so she looks around for him as she noticed that he just vanished. "Mercury?" Yang called out in the crowd.

Meanwhile, Mercury was having a hard time chatting with his old friend. "So...ya still got merchandise eh? Funny that I recall burning them..." Mercury spoke. "Oh yeah. I remember that vividly. Also...the bruises after our little chat." Hugo remarked. "Yeah, that's when ya found out after fucking around with her. Tell me...is she still a thing, or did ya learn the hard way?"

"Why don't you ask herself...Mercutie."

Mercury grew cold hearing the small dagger that was her voice. Abigail shows up next to Hugo with a child. "You know it was hard rebuilding this. Shame if you plan on breaking it again, though...I'm sure you don't wanna do that in front of my daughter, would you Butcher?" Abigail asked. "Ya don't get to call me either of those Abigail. Not after wha-"

"C'mon now. Sure. We had a sweet thing, but you never did want to have kids. Something about daddy breaking your dick off before we even got the change. Hugo at least considered family before anything else." Abigail smirked

"You're seriously talking about this? At least let the bugger run off and snatched away before I get chatty." Mercury grumbled angrily 

Abigail leads the girl away to rest in the tent, then wags her finger, drawing the two of them inside. Mercury hated the fact he was turning into a stray dog leashed for a bone when he was being drawn by Abigail. The two of them sat down as if it was the times before, routinely sitting near each other for a shared meal.

"I do wonder what a man like you do now Mercury...you always had a plan ahead of you. Even I knew that was something special. Though...it never really comes in handy in relationships did it?" Abigail cooed. Mercury's fists clutch in anger. "C'mon now Abibaby. That's an insult to the thinkers of tomorrow. Merc here is nothing but a brute with too much time in his hands. You know what he did to our home."

"Our home? If I recall ya boned her in my place for like what, five to six months?" Mercury growled

"Eight if you count your winter trip." Hugo proudly remarked

Mercury pins Hugo down to the table with his batons in his armbands, pinning the neck down to the wood. Abigail responds by holding a dagger to his neck. Mercury scoffs as he released him.

"...Imma leave now. No need to be around where I'm not welcomed." Mercury hissed. He takes two coats and tossed their worth in silver coins. "Consider that all the pity you'll get from me when ya two get some disease down the road. My treat." Mercury spat venomously as he headed out of the tent.

When he stepped out, he saw Yang being hustled for coins, to which he ended quickly glaring down on the other merchants. "Mercury!" Yang hugs him close. Mercury's anger starts to simmer down. "Hey, Blondie...got the coats. Hope it suits ya." Mercury holds one up and puts it on for her. Yang snuggles into the coat and fluffs up. "Thanks, Merc. It's great!" Yang smiled. Whatever edge was on him was cut off, as a smirk got cut down to a smile. "Heh...your welcome."

At the guild, the group plans out their battle plan against the dark beast. "So...Nora? You got a plan?" Pyrrha asked since Nora was the one who did assign them the job. "Simple! We hit it hard till it dies! And cut Its legs!" Nora shouts. Mercury looks at her with the 'da faq' expression. "Uh Nora...ease up on the leg cutting...we do have Mercury around," Ren notes, pointing down to his stilts. "Oh. We can break his knees instead!" Nora speaks up. Ren huffs a sigh. "Close enough," Ren notes. 

"Well...what if...let's say, use one of us as bait? Then draw the Dark Beast from the water and ambush it with rocks and sharp logs, stabbing down at Its weak points to later finish off in a final assault and counter routine to the beast." Jaune proposed. The group looks to him in shock. "Oh...and break the legs. Yes. That too if Nora wants." Jaune notes. "...I like it!" Nora agreed. 

"Bloody hell Jaune. When did you-" Mercury asked

"I had to write plans for CRDL for years. This is lightweight compared to luggage carrying." Jaune cuts him short.

"Cool. You think that'll work?" Sun asked. 

"I think so. So...who'll bait it out?" Blake asked.

"I recall you were good at drawing out the Beowulf. Surely you can do it ag-" Ruby was cut by Blake glaring at her. "R-right..." Ruby admits defeated.

"Well...what baits a fish more than something that shines?" Mercury looks at his feet. "Guess I can do it." Mercury shrugged. Yang looks at him like he shot her dog down with an arrow and danced on his grave. "What? Like hell, I'm going to let you do that!" Yang shouts. "Yang...ya know I'm the only one who's half metal. Penny's wood and the rest of ya are complete flesh and blood. If it bites my legs, I can simply detach and roll out." Mercury explained. "What if you drop in the water? You can't swim with just arms from where it drags you to the shore! You'll drown!" Yang counter-argued. "Yang...I'm gonna be honest. I'm dumb. A brute, but I am a stubborn one. I'll probably keep paddling towards ya lot by the time we got it pinned down. Trust me, I'll be back in ya arms quicker than ya can say chopped fin soup." Mercury joked. Yang pulls him for another hug. "...promise..?" Yang asked. "...swear on my mother's soul." Mercury replied. Yang nodded in his chest.

The group later arranged their traps of large boulders and sharpen logs. It was thanks to Ruby's spearhead and Weiss rather than it was done under the hour. The boulders were set by Yang, Sun, and Pyrrha, and all three had posts near them to push when ready. Meanwhile, Mercury drew any possible fish near him to his feet, but nothing bigger than his foot was being drawn. That was something that didn't sit well with him. He later stands in the water and walks through it, making noises with the kicks he threw in the shallow part of the beach. The group then starts to see from the outskirts the thing they're after. A large fin passing along the deep end. The creature starts to move down to the shallow waters, later waddling down towards the silver gleam. It's a large frame of onyx is decorated by ivory bone and red fins, the crocodile-like skull was stripped by a red glow. It looks down at the silver-head.

"...Now!" Jaune calls out, as the traps are set off. The boulders that Nora, Pyrrha, and Yang chucked were crashing onto the ivory shell and exposed some of It's an onyx frame, in which the sharp logs were thrown by Ruby and Weiss pierce down. The once calmy roaming beast now roared in agony and anger, looking around for the perpetrators. The group goes down the cliffs to aid Penny with the next part. The group runs around the creature and yells for its attention, to which it did give. The beast swirls around trying to lock onto one of them, meanwhile, Penny was wrapping an elongated ribbon around the legs, entangling the calves with double plated webbing. The creature moves towards one, which would be its downfall. The once fifty tall creature timbered down to their level.

The group now had a chance, to which they all took. Ruby and Pyrrha chuck their spears towards the beasts red orbs, to which it worked without much fail, blinding it. It helps in the pain, to which Sun held up its mouth with Rjin. Blake dashes around and slashes at its flailing arms with her tanto, getting through the exposed onyx scales. Weiss would freeze its tail in the shallow water, making it useless. Ren gives Nora a boost with his butterfly swords being the stilts as she leaped up. Nora couldn't help but smile as she crashed down with her war hammer on its dorsal fin, breaking it. Yang and Mercury both shot into the mouth with their gauntlets and greaves, using whatever magic was in them to combust in the creature's head. Ruby grabs her spear from the eye and pushes it down before it was finally put out of its misery.

The group looks at the beast's corpse. "That went...oddly well," Jaune admits. "Yes! It was!" Nora exclaimed. Ren looked at it. "Uh...did we get the right one?" Ren asked. "What do you mean? Of course, we got it." Mercury said. It wasn't the case. 

What was swimming towards them was much bigger than the one they handled. The fifty-foot tall creature was the literal child of the two hundred leviathans before them. "Oh...we're gonna need a bigger stick." Ruby yelped a bit. The leviathan roars down and moves its head down towards the group. The group scatters around the beach line and starts breaking apart, trying to keep it off of them all. "Any bright ideas Jaune?! We could use them right about now!!" Mercury cried out. "It's hard to think when mommy's angry!" Jaune replied. "Jaune! You got this! Take your time!" Pyrrha encouraged. "We don't have the time nor the space Pyrrha!!" Sun panicked. 

"If this is the end...just know I did sorta like you!" Weiss admits to Ruby. "I used your hairbrush on Zwei and didn't clean it out!" Ruby confessed. Weiss wanted to shove her or pull her for a final kiss, but she wouldn't have the time for either. The leviathan was inching towards them all, more specifically Yang, who was closest. "Yang!!" Mercury called out. He was sprinting towards her and attempted to push her away. Yang looks at him as he did so, before getting swallowed by the beast. Yang laid there frozen as the beast starts to swallow the silver-head. Yang's blood was now boiling, as her scales started to grow more jagged.

"....Give him back! Give him back!!!!" Yang roared out in rage. Her fire starts to spew from the usual orange to a hell-tempered blue fire. She aims the fire towards the beast, burning off the ivory on its skull. It melts and binds more onto the head, causing it pain. Yang's flames only grew when she expressed more of her anger. The group watched this in awe, not knowing she was able to spew blue fire.

The beast would fall to their level. "Yang! It's dead! You can stop now!" Ruby called out. Yang was unresponsive as she kept moving towards the beast's head, continuing to exhale her flames beyond exhaust. By the time the Leviathan's skull was nothing but its actual skull, Yang expelled the remaining embers from her tired throat. Then she simply goes on her knees. "...no no no...no no no no!" Yang whimpers. Blake and Ruby go to comfort her, kneeling to let her lean towards them both in a trust fall. Yang falls to both of them and continues to cry. "M-mercury promised...he promised..." Yang cried.

"...hm? Where the hell am I-"

Mercury sees a small version of himself, one who was curled into himself. 

"Oh hey. It's this dream again."

"...w-what dream? I'm sad."

"Yeah. I know that. I'm you."

"Does it get better?"

"Not till you kill-"

Mercury sees the two bodies he left in the woods, one he swore to protect, and once he was hellbent to kill. 

"Oh hey. There they are. Right on cue." Mercury remarked. "M-m-mommy! D-daddy!" The young Mercury cried.

"Let it out kiddo. Ya don't get to till Abi-"

Mercury then sees Abigail and Hugo in bed.

"Holy shit. My life is flashing before my eyes. Hah! It is true!" Mercury cackles a bit. He was finding this a bit ironic. "I always thought it was just a snap ya know. Ya get hit too hard, get stabbed in the right place, and all of it fizzles-"

Then it flashes to meeting Yang for the first time in the same woods he figurative died. The friends he made along the way to Atlas. Their first kiss. Her smile.

"......"

"...are we leaving?" Young Mercury asked himself. ".....no little Mercie....I'm too stubborn to die!!" Mercury shouts in his head.

Inside the belly, Mercury's eyes shoot open as he reaches for his knives built into his prosthetics, stabbing into the walls of the stomach and clawing out. "I GOT TO MUCH SHIT TO DO HERE! AND TOO MUCH SHIT TO GAIN FROM THEM! I'm GETTING OUT, AND NO FORCE OF HEAVEN OR HELL IS GONNA STOP ME FROM LIVING!!" Mercury shouts in the stomach.

On the outside, the Leviathan's stomach was bulging up and falling into itself. Penny was the first to notice. "Ms.Xaio Long? If I recall correctly, you say it was Mercury in there?" Penny asked. "Huh?" Yang mustered through her sobbing face. The stomach opens and releases Mercury from the flesh prison.

"Aauuugghhh! Fuck!! It stings!!!" Mercury shouts in pain. Yang looks at him in shock, then tackles him into a hug. "You idiot!" Yang cried. "Yang? What's all of that water on your face? Did it spray you down with its hose of a mou-"

"Why do you keep getting in harm's way damnit!?! Why don't I pull a Mercury and get in harm's way!? See how you like it!" Yang cried more. "I-I'm sorry! I just seem to have shit luck." Mercury chuckled a bit. "...you're paying for your damn medicine. I won't waste a coin on you..." Yang hissed. "Heh. I'll spend all of it on ya when I get the chance too." Mercury proposed. Yang couldn't be sad or mad anymore and pulls him into a messy kiss. Mercury messes up her hair a bit while holding her close.

After the mess was cleaned up, The group was able to gain the full reward. The first thing that Mercury did was pay all of his debt of 10000 with the 50000 liens he earned, then used 5000 to pay for his hospital bill. "Ughh...stomach acids itchy on the skin...it crawls into ya and can't seem to get the itch off," Mercury admits. Yang nuzzled close to him. "You keep getting into dumb things like that and it won't be an itch. Please try to keep some self-preservation. If not for your own sake for ours." Yang whined. "I will try my best." Mercury quipped. "Good. Sleep, tight love." Yang yawned as a nuzzled closer. "...sleep well Yang..." Mercury spoken softly back, kissing her forehead. Mercury looks through the window and notes a raven watching. A very insightful raven. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Time to crash down till next week. -v-
> 
> Take care everyone


	10. Tainted past reunites at last: Leaning the haunting of the Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group gets ready to depart to Argus, though a bit divided to cover more ground into finding the scrolls' owner. There is however, someone in the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...the final quarter is upon us. These will be the last 3 chapters of this tail. It suits me to only do 12 chapters of a story. It feels clean. A dozen is a nice sounding word. Now that announcement is out and out of the way, hope you enjoy the chapter and the chapters to come.

The morning wrapped around by his loved one. How all of his new days start for the silver-head in question, he couldn't help but feel warm again. He wanted to stay in for all of the time, but he knew those scrolls can't deliver themselves. He then takes a whiff of the acid that he sweated out, to which he remarked was wrenching. Luckily it only stuck to him and the sheets below them, so he opted to bathe it out. He works out of the clingy hold of his girlfriend and walks to the bathroom. 

In there he was able to unwind and be exposable, taking off the bagging clothes and plated wristbands to expose his body. Lean and mean was how he summed it up, but it wasn't that simple. Many scars laced on his forearms and upper arms from his constant knife fights with his father. Some of his father's slashes cut through his chest and shoulders. His back was decorated with the lashing he got from his pain tolerance training. Yet none compared to the crown jewel that was the large cannon wound he got when he was in front of his father's cannon. The madman had a way to convince a naive nine-year-old to train with im if he can call it that. The cannon wasn't loaded with any cannonball, bathe a dozen ounces of gunpowder lit up, and blasted across his flat stomach. He can take a good look at himself without shame when he's alone, yet he didn't know he wasn't. Unbenoyence to him, he has had a spectator.

Yang woke up thinking Mercury ran off to the others to pack early again, so she was quick to tend to her mane in the restroom then rush down to catch up. What she didn't know was Mercury planned to take a shower, and she didn't expect what she saw marked on Mercury. At first, she felt a strong impulse to stare, but quickly looked away for a bit, before being drawn back to him. Maybe window shopping wasn't so harmful was the excuse that came to her mind. In reality it was something primal that was drawing her to stare. A primal admiration of a battle marked mate. Her eyes dilated and fixated on him for what felt like hours.

"....B-blondie....my eyes are up here." Mercury reminded her and covered up quickly when he noticed her. Yang and Mercury were now a blushing mess, looking away from each other. "I-I thought you were downstairs." Yang explained. "Uh-huh..." Mercury spoke up, but was still unable to talk with her flustered mind. The both of them turned to face each other but didn't look at each other due to trying to hide her blush. "I-I...needed to take a bath. The acid was wrenched..." Mercury explained. "I-I see...what if we...uhh..." Yang was having a hard time expressing what she wanted. Her mind was running many thoughts and scenarios. Mainly what she can make uof to a body like his. "Want to what Yang?" Mercury asked. "...take a bath...together?" Yang mustered.

Mercury was now turning into a puddle of mush from the inside, having a hard time to process this. "T-together?" Mercury asked. "Y-yeah..to save water." Yang excused. "O-oh...that makes sense." Mercury was also making excuses, now also wanting to find ways to make her body do things. Both now physically attacher was about to make a large leap into their relationship, so it will an all or nothing situation. Yang turned away to undress, and Mercury did the same for her privacy. When she was done, she spoke up. "Merc? Let's both go in now." Yang mustered up. "Oh...okay," Mercury mumbled embarrassed. It wasn't like he didn't see a naked chick before, but Mercury was very embarrased to see her body. For one he knew how soft it felt, yet he didn't want to violate her with his eyes. The two were now sharing the bathtub, mostly trying not to screw each other or themselves up. 

Meanwhile, the group was down in the Inn, sharing a meal. "So? Where's your sister?" Pyrrha asked. "Oh. I think the two of them are still asleep." Ruby notes. "This late? Mercury is usually up by now." Jaune remarked. "Maybe the two are, busy." Nora coughed the last part. Weiss was able to hear that last word, and scoff the idea away. "They wouldn't dare to such a thing. The two may be all touchy, but I can tell when two people are too stubborn to break one another for such a crud thing." Weiss puffed out and sipped her tea. "What if they are? Who you think is top?" Blake asked, still using them as material for a novella. "Heh. Between a Dragonborn and a Human, who wouldn't be but Yang?" Sun joked. "Yuck! Gross!" Ruby galled out, not wanting to hear this. "Let's try not to make the group vomit up their breakfast. We need it down for the trip down to Atlas." Ren remarked, not wanting to hear about it either.

The group were finished with their meals and waited at the guild for what seemed like all morning, but two hours later the duo did show up. "Well look who finally shows up. I thought you two died." Weiss barked. "S-sorry! It seems we overslept." Yang excused the two of them. Both seemed like they're were covering something up as much as possible with their clothes, as if they didn't want to expose any skin. "Uh huh." Ruby noted. Mercury looked like he was in a good mood, and didn't want to cause any trouble. "Seems like you folks are ready to take the boat to Atlas. Hope you don't get sea sick." Mercury chirped. "...something happened in that room. He doesn't chirp. He never chirps." Jaune thinks to himself. Jaune's assumptions were realized when out of the corner of his eye when the two past, a small scratch was seen at the back of Mercury's neck before he covered it with his hand. "Did it feel well?" Blake whispered. "What did?" Yang asked. "The rocking bed~" Blake cooed softly in Yang's ear. Yang was blushing red. "For your information, nothing was done in any bed!" Yang whispered back. "Who was top?" Blake futhur inquired. "......I was...on him..." Yang confessed in Blake's ear. Blake scribbles down the rest.

"So Mercury...did any bugs get in?" Sun asked. "No? Why ya asking?" Mercury asked. "Well...ya seem to have some bedbug bites right on that neck of yours." Sun cheerfully smirked. "...utter one more word and ya getting a colonoscapy with that staff of yours." Mercury threatened to end the conversation.

The group continues towards the docks of Argus, not expecting much hassle. Though on the way there, two guards hold Blake, Pyrrha and Sun at spear point. "What seems to be the problem soldier?" Sun asked. "No spirits on the ship. They draw danger." The soldier barked. "The only dangers you'll be drawing is from me if I don't get those two on that boat. Unless ya want me to break ya both sideways to Sunday, I suggest ya take some of our lien and pass off quickly." Mercury pulled his daggers at them. As on que, three other spirits appeared near the soldiers. One pushed the two with water while the other wrapped them around with vines. The final one shocked the two with low voltage. "The hell?" Jaune asked. The culprits appeared right before them. "Wukong? Is that you?" One asked. "....guys? Are you guys actually- HOLY SHIT!!!" Sun yelped cheerfully. He runs pass the group to group hug with the three culprits. "Sun? What are you doing? They just shocked two soldiers of the law!" Blake sternly scolded him. "After they held the three of you at soear point. I say let him be." Mercury spoke. "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard." Yang replied. "....now that I thi-"

"Guys! Meet the tall man Sage, the cool man Scarlet, and my main wingman Neptune!!" Sun hyped their introductions. "Hey~" Neptune winked at the group. Weiss was contemplating her sexuality a bit with Neptune, while the others were just mellow about it. "Tough crowd your hanging with Sun. You must've missed us." Sage remarked. "Not as much as you think, but way more than you'll believe. Hey, this one over here is another spirit like us. I want you three to get to know Blake." Sun spotlights Blake. "It's nice to know there's more of us out there." Blake remarked. "Aye. Fine day to be plenty around these parts." Scarlet nodded. "Who's the fine Blonde one?" Neptune asked. Weiss got reaffirmed with her sexuality as quickly as she was contemplating it, now remembering why she was not into guys. "Uhhh..that's Yang, but you mig-" Sun was too late as Neptune kissed Yang's scaley hand. "Uhhhhhhhh." Yang was caught off guard. Mercury was currently glaring down at the possible love rival, as he wasn't going to take any chances of loosing Yang. "It's a pleasure to meet ya doll. How bout we-"

"Back the fuck away or I'll drown ya in your own piss. Mind my French." Mercury almost lost it while saying it. "Oh, I didn't know she was taken." Neptune noted. "Yeah, and I really suggest you go looking else were. I'm not in the mood to bury bodies." Mercury spoke. "Easy on the burying guys! Let's all just get along and team up. We'll cover more ground if we do." Sun remarked. "We can cover plenty with the eleven we got. We don't need the extra baggage." Mercury remarked. "We can carry ourselves just find, Stilts. If he ever hurts ya sweetie, come to me." Neptune replied. Mercury was stabbung daggers into him with his eyes, ticking by the second. Yang moves closer to Mercury to try to calm him down. "I promise this doesn't happen often." Sun reassures them. "It better not, or else Mercury's gonna really toss someone overboard. We should get in the ferry now." Weiss states. "Yeah...let's get our own room Merc." Yang spoke. "...good....idea." Mercury breathes out, as the fourteen travelers go in the ship.

The ship was a iron ship that could hold up to 500 passengers. The fourteen of them go and get their own rooms among themselves, going to rooms near them to ensure they xna stay in contact with each other. Yang and Mercury were quick to enter a room for them alone, so Yang can check up on him. "You okay Merc?" Yang asked. "What you mean? Of course I'm fine." Mercury quickly spoke. "Merc. You don't have to worry about this. I promise I'm yours." Yang spoke up. "....damn...I really hope ya right..." Mercury leaned onto Yang. "I always am." Yang smiler at him. "....heh....Can I at least deck him in the galls?" Mercury asked. "Hmm...probably not for the best for the group, but personally...I would find it a bit hot." Yang's eye flicker red a bit. Mercury smirked at her, having a small cackle with her. "I'll keep that in mind." Mercury chuckled a bit, and pecked her lips lightly. Yang leans back to hold the kiss. When they pulled out, both would cuddle for a bit.

Afterwards, the group was sitting in the cafeteria sharing a meal. Yang sat across from Mercury, next to Ruby and Neptune. This was so that Mercury was keeping an eye on him, and to also be around Yang. The group was dining, and Mercury couldn't help but notice a raven perked on the wood plank. "....hmm...weird." Mercury thinks a bit outloud. "Hm?" Yang asked with a mouthful of her food. "...sorry. Must be a bit on edge." Mercury notes. "Now that's a shame. A anxious man is a very abnormal one." Neptune remarked. Mercury simply ignored that remark to keep his word with Yang. Yang rolled her eyes at that remark. "We are going to need to know who to give those scrolls to. Merc? Do they have an address or a emblem?" Jaune asked. "Yeah...we're heading to the south end of Atlas. Not far from the docks we'll end up in." Mercury replied. "That means this will also be easy walk in the lark." Ruby notes. "Yeah...and this time I don't have to get eaten, or stabbed, or slashed to b,ts." Mercury adds on. "Don't jinx it. For Yang's sake." Blake said. "Y,eah yea-"

The raven swooped down and pecks at Mercury. "Get it off!" Mercury repeated. "Heh. He has Onithrophobia!" Neptune remarked, getting a punch from Sage. "Let's just- Shoo! Shoo!" Yang swipes at the raven, to which it moved aside and morphed in front of them. It changed fromblackbirdird to a woman in black and red clothing, tethered due to time and age. Her body type was similar to Yangs, bulky, and fit to fight. Raven-colored hair was grown out into a large mane, which goes down her back like wings that are closed up. Her scarlet red eyes stare down at the others.

"...honestly...you guys are just wanting to match to death with him around. Tch. You're gonna regret joining up with him." The woman spoke up. The group was wondering who this person was, but Yang had a pretty clear picture roof who she was. The same woman who haunts her dreams now faced ace to face with her and some boiled emotions are starting to fan out. "....you have no right to say that....mom..." Yang spoke up. The woman couldn't help but hold a cocky smirk. "You can't be...Raven Brawren is your mother?!"Weiss asked. "I'm flattered my reputation has some weight in your thought process. And yeah, I gave birth to that thing." Raven remarked. Mercury was also smirking, but it was just a front to hide some build up rage. "...to be honest...your reputation must be pretty shit..." Mercury spoke.

"Huh? Wanna run by that toothpick?" Raven asked. "...you call yourself her mother...yet what did you do? Give her some social issues? Gave her off to her father and some other broad without a care in the world? Spend your days as a damn bird packing at me? Some reputation you have. lt sickens me how much ya remind me of Yang, but than again, I don't see her dad too often. Ya might have been the reason he died for all I know." Mercury mouthed off. "...watch your tone, boy. You don't wanna mess with me." Raven snarled. "Huh? Is someone speaking? I can't tell over her hypocrisy blaring out. You just let life screw you over once and them you decide who's worth loving. Like you can judge. Maybe it's how the story portrayed you, but a woman who leaves a good life with a caring husband and a daughter ain't deserving to be acknowledged." Mercury mouths off. Raven glares down at him. "Ya asked for it toothpick!" Raven pulls up her katana and extends it to him to display the severity of the situation he tripped onto.

Before anything could happen, it seemed someone caused an explosion in the lower deck of the boat, which quickly tilts the boat. The explosion also pulls in water into a vacuum that fills up the boat. Unable to turn the boat around, the captain of the ship watches in horror as the boat bolts towards a vortex.

"Damn! The hell is going on?!" Raven roars out. "We have to get out!" Mercury notes. "What about the others?" Jaune asked. "Ya wanna go act like a hero with your lot, it's gonna be your funeral!" Neptune speaks up. "And ya gonna help out. Whether ya like it or-"

The next thing Mercury notes, he was washed up in Atlas. The cold snow was piling on him, icicles forming around his legs, and the taste of sand causing him to vomit out whatever water in his lungs. Mercury coughs heavy and pushes up, letting snowfall all off of his back. His vision hazy due to the lack of oxygen in his brain, but he gets it back to see the wreckage of the boat. The others were around, and lucky for them, they were able to escape with their bodies intact. Injured but intact. Mercury roams around and finds Yang near him. He grabs hold of her by the shoulders and shakes her gently. "...blondie?" Mercury asked. Yang does wake up. "Oh thank God you're alright!" Mercury hugs her. Yang yelps a bit in pain. "Sorry!" Mercury speaks quickly. "No...it's fine...ugh...where's mom?" Yang weakly asked. "She must've flown away," Mercury notes.

"Okay...that was dangerous! Is that what usually happens when you're around him?" Neptune asked. Mercury turns to glare at Neptune. "Yeah, fuck around and find out." Mercury threatens. "Easy now. We just got away with our lives. It seems like everyone got out of lifeboat seats. Some did wash up." Sun points down at a crowd. "What was that?" Sage asked. "I don't wanna find out." Scarlett noes, since it did destroy the ship. The group was a bit uneasy. "Well...we should keep going, ng," Mercury notes.

"Those scrolls...they must carry bad luck..." Blake admits. "...the hell you mean?" Mercury asked. "It is highly probable that they are inflicted with some curse. One that gets harm pushed our way. The bandits, the unlawful knights, the everchanging woods, and even the leviathan. Though the last one was us seeking it, we were unprepared to handle it." Penny replied. "Alright, this is no time to be superstitious. We have to keep going." Mercury states. "Merc...we just got washed ashore after almost drowning, can we please just take a breather." Ruby asked. "...you can't-" Mercury stopped himself and noticed everyone was a bit down. "...fine."

Later on in the day, and after a lot of consideration, it was agreed that some of the group would split off to head back. "After all we did?" Ruby asked. "I can't blame the lot of ya. It was a hefty trip coming here." Mercury admits. "Well fellow travelers, it was...nice being around. It hasn't been much without your company." Nora admits. Ren nods. "It was nice being around you," Ren notes. Jaune sticks his hand out to Mercury. "It was nice not being a squire." Jaune sheepishly notes. "Ya still a damn good lad in my book." Mercury shakes hand with him. Pyrrha tags along with Jaune, who tagged with Ren and Nora. "I finally arrived at Atlasike Papa told me. Now I have to go to the capital. I thank you for your help taking me here." Penny notes. "Aww...I'll miss you too." Ruby hugs Penny, who hugged back. Penny wanders out of the inn they were holding the meeting and goes out to the capitol. "Well...It was nice while it shortly lasted."Neptune headed out with Sage and Scarlett. Sun looks at his buddies and back at the others. "Damn...I still got to get this crown off...but the boys are gonna need me..." Sun contemplates to himself. Blake steps up and sits next to him. "Hey...how bout you go with them?" Blake asked. "What? And leave the fun to you guys? Bellé, I have to be there when we find out how to take this off, or else it won't be cool walking around with a ring tightly holding my forehead hostage." Sun remarked. "look...I might be able to find something here to get it off, and when I do, I'll go running to you. I think they'll need you more than you need that off, and it'll also be easier to spot a dweeb with a ring locking his head in death grip rip." Blake explained. Sun snickered at this. "And here I thought you couldn't be funny...sure. That sounds like a plan." Sun noted.

Mercury was silently thinking to himself while this was going on.

"Jeez...It's like they're making up excuses to get out of here."

"...maybe, but it kind and redundant to have a small village deliver one bag of scrolls."

"More excuses."

"I remember it being a bit more pleasant in my mind."

"You remember wrong."

"Hm...either way, it'll be nice to throw one last party," Mercury speaks out loud. "That sounds like a good idea!" Yang agreed. "Shit. That wasuhhhh.." Mercury didn't have an excuse and just agreed to what his mind dug him in. The small party of dining was just as pleasant as their last eat up, with the lack of any fears of drowning in the ocean. The party lasted till midnight, and people would split off to the endeavors and trials, while RWBY and Mercury stayed in the Inn.

Yang would nuzzle close to Mercury. "...damn...now that I think of it, I think the lot had a point about the scro, ls," Mercury speaks up. "Hm? Why you say that?" Yang asked. "Just...with all the shit they put us through...man...here I was thinking it was gonna be smooth sailing." Mercuadmitsrts. "Well sure...they have had us go through some bumpy roads, but...we meet some good people on the way here. Heck, maybe some who can come over if we build a home together." Yang confesses. "..you wanna build a home with me?" Yang nervously asked. "We only been out for a couple of months, but yes. I don't mind stepping out of my comfy cave, and living with you when this is over." Yang replied. Mercury was started to form a crooked smile. "Awwww!" Yang cooed at his smile, which he quickly covered up. "C'mon! Lemme see!" Yang was tugging his hand. "No! Too crooked." Mercury hissed as if it being exposed was painful. "It's cute!" Yang insisted. There is going at this for a bit while before they agreed to sleep off the rocky day, now looking forward to what hat holds for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3......3......3.....2....2....
> 
> You have a good day now
> 
> ...2...2...


	11. Finding the Roots: Killing Evil with Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that this chapter is up, the final one is gonna have to bring it down to wraps. It was nice working on something I rather enjoyed over the course of the month, and I guess it was also a learning experience. Now the countdown is set to
> 
> 2...2...1...
> 
> 1...

The next morning was the day they were going to do it. The group of five were finally at the location where the scrolls were expected to be delivered to. The summer home of a royal family. The family in question had a crowned Tulip emblem at the front door. "...heh...we made it." Mercury thinks to himself. "Yeah. It only took us a peek over a week." Yang spoke. "Hehehe. Yeah it did." Mercury agreed. "Stop with the puns Yang. Please." Ruby notes. "Hey. It's not my fault they just pun out. It's literally second nature for me to sprout a new one. Can't all be good harvests." Yang continued. "That wasn't funny at all." Weiss agreed. Mercury snickered hearing some of them. "No wonder they're together. They have the same humor. Either pun related or dark." Blake notes. The other two of the group agreed. 

When stepping inside the marble house, the architecture reminded them a lot of Ancient Remnet. Columns, Dormens, and a hole bunch of carved marble statues filled the home. There were also paintings of the members of the family. One in particular caught Mercury's attentions. "...funny...that one on the right...it surely can't be..." Mercury remarked. "What is it Merc?" Yang asked. "...that's my mom. To the right of us." Mercury points at the painting. The painting was one of a blonde woman with brown eyes, wearing a light purple and gold dress while holding a Tulip in her right hand. "She's pretty." Yang comments. "...Heh. It seems my dad also passed down my taste of women." Mercury noted. Yang was now blushing red and retaliated lightly on his right shoulder. Mercury couldn't help but have a crooked smile. The group mentally notes this moment down, as Blake was quick to write it down for her novel.

The group than hear the door open, and see a figure dressed in white and red. "Why hello there travelers! I am glad you have arrived to my summer home!" The stranger shouts. "This is yours?" Ruby asked. "Indeed. I am Pluto Tulip Giovanni! A pleasure to have such fair guests to accompany me with my family." Pluto remarked. "There's more of ya. Damn...do we gotta meet them?" Mercury asked. "Why of course. The family just has to be there when you give us those scrolls you have kindly brought back to us. Come. We'll get you all in proper attire." Pluto had butlers lead them to their rooms.

In the girls' room, Yang couldn't help but find a dress that suited her. "I think this one will do!" Yang shows it off to the other girls. "Yass!!!!" Blake squealed. "Ironic really." Weiss muttered. "Really gonna get him with this one sis!" Ruby agreed. When the four stepped out, they came down in dresses or tuxedos. Blake wore a black and dark violet tuxedo, Ruby came down with a red and maroon dress, Weiss came down with a white battle tuxedo, and Yang came down with a gold and light purple dress. Mercury waited with a dark gray tux and saw Yang step down with the dress. "I figured since she had this one...I...well.." Yang blushes a bit and wasn't able to finish. "....Beautiful..." Mercury thought outloud. Now the two were a red mess. Blake still had her notebook and scribbled all of the details down.

At the ivory and oak table, there were many aunts and uncles of Mercury, many of elder age. "So. You are this, Mercury Black, they speak of?" The eldest uncle asked. "Yep. But don't worry, the T don't mean Tulip." Mercury quipped. "Now isn't that repugnant. The boy doesn't address himself fully. Such shame." The eldest aunt remarked. "Now! Now! Aunt Gia and Uncle Kronos mean no ill will. They're just sour over the fact we lost these, hut once they're with us, they'll be in a better mood." Pluto spoke. "Okay..." Mercury remarked. The group had lunch with the others, most of the minding their manners but Mercury and Yang. "The savages..." Gia retorted to herself. "My what healthy diets they have! I make more!" The chef couldn't help but be happy to cook more. Afterwards, Mercury finally pulls them out. "Here ya go." Mercury hands it to them. "Ah yes. Thanks Mercury." Kronos notes. Pluto gets out his chair and walks around. "A toast to our fine travelers, for their long journey from Mistral to Atlas!" Pluto holds cup. The entire groups toasts to that, all but Mercury who didn't drink. Pluto walks behind Mercury's chair and places his hands on the crown of the chair. "Say...why don't we go for a lovely spar?" Pluto inquired. "Sorry. I don't fight those who pay me." Mercury quipped. "Oh...but you might need to." Pluto flatly spoke, as everyone in the table who drank the wine fell unconscious. 

"What the hell did you d-" Mercury was shoved into his meal. "Absolutely repulsive little shit. You managed to escape that hellhole you grow up in, and worse comes to shove you had to be the one to get these for us. It's either you fight me, or the four will stay here as prisoners and breeding sows." Pluto states. Mercury's blood was boiling, but he knew his temper would only lead him to a worse situation. "Fine. If I win, ya pay double and we never see each other again." Mercury growled. "Hm. Fine. If I win, I take everything from you." Pluto states. The two shake on it.

The butlers took the bodies to the spectator auditorium, while the two fighters ready themselves in their lockers. Pluto came out with a white cloth and red leather armour. Mercury came out with dark gray robes and silver leather. When the four woke up, they find themselves tied to their seats. "What is happening?!" Ruby asked. "Unhand us you repulsive humans!" Weiss rattles off. "I will claw my way outta here if I have to!" Blake roars. "YOU ARE DEAD!" Yang roars out as well. "Silence ladies. The show is about to start." Kronos snickered.

In the colosseum, both fighters stepped in and looked at the gallery of weapons. Mercury chooses to pick steel plated boots, while Pluto was off to do the same. The two stand in front of each other. "...y'all gonna be regretting this..." Mercury remarked. "We'll doubt that." Pluto speaks back as the two throw rear round-house kicks at each other. Mercury pulls his rear leg back and moves it closer to his front leg to later release a front axe kick. Pluto dodges quickly and clock kick (a helicopter kick in their time's tongue) at him, which was blocked by Mercury's iron leg. The two continue the assault of kicks at each other, practically dancing if not for their killer intend at each other. "My my, that father of yours taught you well." Pluto retorts. "Shut it Pamper brat!" Mercury swings another axe kick at him. When it missed, Pluto strikes out a side kick to Mercury's stomach.

Mercury is pushed back by the pain it sends to his brain, since it was a sore spot for the silver-head. Mercury holds his scarred stomach. "You know...if it really took this to take you down...I wouldn't have sent Marcus your way." Pluto states. 

Mercury's mind was transitioning from pain to shock. "...what?"

"Oh. You never did know why he knew where you were going? Did you? Well...you see, I always wanted to meet Talerina. My aunts and uncles always spoke so well of her. One day I find out this idol of the house, was a slut to anyone with an ounce of muscle fiber on them. Your meathead of a father decided to take her for himself, and later on gives me a cousin in the form of you. I was disgusted when I found out about your father, that I knew you couldn't live in this world. You were a constant reminder of the unholy union between the goddess that was my aunt and the demon that was your father. It was really easy to find you. Just follow the stench of atrocities and poof. I see you running off with the slut that was my aunt. I just had to tell your daddy that his little trooper and wife were going to escape that shithole he dug up for you, and the rest...well...you know what happened." Pluto explained

Mercury's mind was flashing back to that painful memory again, and this time it was making sense. There really was no demon, but rather a god-entitled brat telling on his mother and him.

"Goodbye...sinner!" Pluto lands a final blow to the back of Mercury's head. 

The next thing Mercury knew, he found himself behind the black-steel door, now in a dark room with chains and weapons. He turns behind him to find a towering beefcake of a man, nay, a demon standing. The tainted blue eyes were complimented by the white hair combed over half hazardly. "...well...guess it means we're stuck together, Pops." Mercury notes. "So...you know what happened?" Marcus asked coldly. "Yeah...I lost...and he snatched everything..." Mercury spoke with resentment. "Hmm...those Tulips don't usually like to get their hands dirty. Unlike her, that woman. My...she would do anything for her beefcake. Talerina...she was indeed something-" Marcus was held by knife point. "Ya don't get to mutter or think of muttering her name! If I'm stuck in hell with you, you'll accept that as fact! I'm glad my mother is up there in Heaven and not here with the lot of us!" Mercury growled. "Now ain't that something. I don't even have to tell ya where ya landed. Though, it was weird how often ya seemed to avoid this fate. The amount of times ya gambled with death and won was astonishing, even for it. It likes to play with gamblers like you." Marcus snickered. "...It's now coming to me. How ironic I get to spend Hell with the one thing I hate most. That red cunt sure is creative with how he tortures his residents." Mercury quipped. "Aye. He also knows what really gets ya." Marcus quipped back. "Of course." Mercury rolled his eyes. Than he sees life flashing before him. A wedding day. Not his, but Yang's. He was seeing Yang forced into marriage with...Pluto. Than he sees her wedding night with him, so forceful and filled with violation. Than he sees her carry and birth kids for the bastard. He was haunted by the forced smile she puts up for her painting.

"Ain't he a clever cunt? Thay red bastard knows how to tick people off beyond repair! It's hilarious actually!" Marcus starts laughing at Mercury. "...over my dead body..." Mercury growled. "Eh? Aren't you a comedian? As you know already, ya dead! That means ya can't go back!" Marcus snickered. Mercury glares down at his father. "I'll be damned if someone I love is damned by someone like you! Like I fucking said!" Mercury's scars were glowing, as if his soul was starting to leave the place. "The hell? This can't be!" Marcus growls. Death must've had a bad hand against Mercury's, as the silver-head was starting to feel his pulse again.

"He's dead sweetcake. There's nothing you can do!" Pluto quipped. "No no no! Merc! Merc! Get up! Please!" Yang cried. The other three were already chained. "You. I will choose you to be my bride. And you'll bear me children." Pluto smirked at his prize. His rather shot-lived victory was starting to crack by the short-dead defeat of his opponent. Body contorting was something he didn't expect when he landed a deadly kick at Mercury. "....OveR...MY...DeAd...BoDY!..." Mercury growled venomously, as he sat back up with cyan eyes. Yang backs a bit off seeing this, as Mercury stands up again, clearly towering Pluto's shorter body. "...Over my dead body ya gonna take my beloved away. Ya honestly thought you were gonna get away with telling me you got my mother killed? Ya must be a dense or truly special." Mercury glared daggers in him. "No way! That was my deadliest attack." Pluto remarked.

"You're-" Yang was cut by Mercury turning to her with the same cyan eyes. "...go get the others out...I got a house to burn." Mercury states. "Wait, you just came back after being dead for 3 minutes! Like hell I am!" Yang retorts. "That's true...but you need to take friends and family as far away from here as possible. Please keep them safe. I won't be far behind." Mercury spoke. "...please don't break this..." Yang said before leaving. Pluto would try to get in her way, but a quick dash and shove from Mercury stopped him. "Why won't you just die?" Pluto hissed. "Funny you say that. My dad told me the same thing down in Hell. Wanna meet your uncle?" Mercury quipped before landing his own side kick into his chest. Pluto was sent back, but wasn't down for the count. Pluto throw axe and butterfly kicks hazardly, which Mercury dodged with a second nature. His mind was currently thinking about the pain he'll bring upon him and not on what kicks to use, as his body clearly was doing it for him. "You think you'll get away from this?! I was training day in and day out for this very day! I studied that cursed style of yours! I know my purpose is to take you out! I'm a demigod compare to you!" Pluto speaks while landing a barrage of roundhouse kicks at Mercury. Mercury barely holds himself from cackling, but let some slip unintentionally. "...really?" Mercury asked. "Really." Pluto snarled. "REALLY?!" Mercury snarled back. Both fighters stand down before one went after the other. Pluto charges a sliding side kick, which landed on Mercury's gut again. "Ya can't get away with that shit twice." Mercury growled. He held Pluto's leg in place for his other hand to swing a hatchet near by at Pltuo's leg, cutting it clean. Pluto yelps in pain and withdraws away, now hoping on one leg. Mercury lowers down and uses the swaying motion to chop the second leg in half. Pluto cries in pain even more.

"Now we ain't so different! Only thing missing is your fucking heart! Here! I'll lend ya a hand in finding it ya heartless little shit!" Mercury grabs a knife from his leg and hovers over Pluto's chest. "Please! Please don't kill me! I don't wanna die! Please!" Pluto cried. "What's the matter? Ya were talking all that demigod shit a second ago! C'mon now! Those were just your calves. Grow em back Demigod! Summon some familiars! Get fire and brimstone raining on me! Try me demigod!" Mercury cackles. "Please! Stop! Ya damn stray have no right to do this!" Pluto begged. Mercury was ticked off, as the knife does dig down, but not in flesh. Rather it was near Pluto's left cheek, digging into the dirt. "If I'm a stray than you're fucking dog chow. I ain't in a mood to bite down on degrading dog shit. I believe I know just the dog who'll enjoy such a thing." Mercury glared playfully with cyan eyes fading to steel gray as he walked away, and with good whacks with the axe, cut down the auditorium over him. Mercury would run down the hall and see a glow to his right. There he finds Yang blazing down the guards and releasing Ruby, who petal bursted into the guards holding Weiss, who froze the guards solid and released Blake. The group were now fighting their way out of here.

"Fuck sakes Merc! Your family is insane!!" Yang shouts. "I know! Wanna be a part of it?" Mercury asked. "What?!" Yang asked. "Guys! This really isn't the time for this! We need to leave the building!" Weiss retorts. "Now or never I say!" Blake listened attentively to the answer. The group of course fight the guards while leaving, and after a long trek out, they managed to leave. "Finally." Ruby huffed out in relief. Once the soldiers arrived and inquired the situation, they deemed the Tulips dethroned from their status and send to prison. Turns out Pluto managed to live, but he was due a death sentence the next day. 

On the ship out of Atlas, the small group of five were excited to be home in a week. Mercury was badly injured and bed ridden for a couple of days, meaning he was going to need a carriage ride back to his place. "Shit...that concussion came so much later..." Mercury groaned. "You know this job might be too dangerous to raise a family with." Yang states. "...what does that mean?" Mercury asked. "That question you asked...I....Yes Merc." Yang replied. Mercury wanted to think he wasn't dreaming or in the afterlife. "...come by me again?" Mercury asked. "Yes...I wanna be part of your family. Only if you take less risky jobs and consider raising kids of your own damn it!" Yang exclaimed. "Gihi! Holy shit Yang...ya actually gonna make my cry..." Mercury was hiding his tears. "Don't cry jackass. Or else you'll make me cry and we'll be crying during our damn proposal!" Yang was trying not to cry either, opting to jump and cuddle with her newly announced fiance. Mercury hugs and kisses Yang ruff and messy. The group hears this and had different reaction. "I can't handle a brother-in-law! I already have a sister!" Ruby thinks to herself. "Holy shit! They actually did it." Weiss remarked. "YAS! THEY DID IT!" Blake squealed.

Mercury was able to hold Yang close. "Oi...Blondie..." Mercury asked. "Hm?" Yang hummed. "...thanks for...saving my ass in those woods. I don't think I can really express enough about what you did for me back there. It was...more than just the bear ya saved me from." Mercury admits. "Well...out with it sweetie." Yang teased. "Don't call me that. It implies I'm made of sugar, to which I'm not." Mercury states. "Just say it Merc before ya ruin it." Yang insisted. "Right! Right! But seriously do avoid calling me that-" 

"Mercury Black! Focus!" Yang growled. "Sorry. Okay....You saved me from...well...just surviving for today." Mercury confessed. Yang was listening inventively. "...ya gave me...something to look forward for in tomorrow." Mercury added. "That's funny Merc...I was gonna say the same for you." Yang quipped. "Ya too cute for my damn health Blondie." Mercury kissed her forehead before they slept in bed on a ship ride back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1...1...1...
> 
> Thanks again for sticking around. The final chapter is a epilogue of a sort, finally getting some wedding shit and that damn "s m u t" that was promised out of the way. Though I think that's a strong word. I say it's gonna be more of an "erratic and erotic relay of the events" that unfolds in the chapter that comes ahead. Though officially this is the final chapter in a structural sense. Chapter 12 will be again, an epilogue. Take care and hopefully I'll be bringing in another story


	12. Epilogue:Time flies when Peace is upon you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the group is back at their home, they can celebrate it. What better way with a wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You made it. The final chapter is here. Hope it's as much of a resolution as it could.

* * *

"Soo...this is the one you fell for?" 

"Yeah. Pretty much sums it up." 

Mercury was being wrapped by Yang's tail around his waist while explaining the entire adventure to Emerald. "Nice to meet ya. I'm Emerald Sustrai." Emerald introduced herself to Yang. "Yang Xaio Long. Nice to meet you too." Yang speaks. "And these are just some of the lovely bunch that tagged along with me. The smart and novel writing Blake Belladonna, aka Erika Goodpen. Weiss Schnee, and the little sis, Ruby Rose." Mercury also introduced. "It's nice to meet you." Ruby shakes hands with her. "Pleasure is mine." Emerald notes. "Wait?! Erika Goodpen! Holy shit! I'm a huge fan of your work!" Emerald announces to Blake. "Thanks. My next novel is almost done!" Blake states. "Keep me in touch!" Emerald said. "Of course. Anything for a fan." Blake notes. "It's also nice to be in the presence of you, Weiss Schnee." Weiss speaks to herself. "Sorry. It's good to meet you." Emerald shakes her hand. Weiss shook back and didn't add on. 

The six of them look back at the table where Neopolitan and Roman Torchwick, the newlyweds showing their happiness. "...Oi Blondie. Do we really need to, ya know?" Mercury points over at the huge party. "Well...I guess it could be small. But you need to get dad in this." Yang replied. "Wait. I thought he- ya know-" Mercury asked. "Well there is a way for dragons to be in the living realm even after death, but it requires a solar eclipse." Yang notes. "Great. When is the next one?" Mercury asked. "I say...about 3 weeks." Yang notes. "Good to know." Mercury smirked. Yang smiled at him cheerfully. Mercury couldn't help but hold the smirk a bit longer.

The weeks were going down for Mercury like a overbearing tide, since he was getting more and more nervous. "Hey. You wanna take a seat?" Yang asked while the two were out in the woods hunting for rabbits. "Naw. We need to get some more." Mercury replied. The duo did manage to get the final bunny, and head back without much issue. Mercury would be shoved down from behind to the couch, than Yang sits on his back. "Oi! What do you think you're doing!?" Mercury asked. "Don't think I didn't notice it Merc. You're losing sleep over this meeting with dad. Just rest for a bit. You did enough already." Yang said half worried. "What about those rabbits? I gotta cook them ya know." Mercury notes. "Honey I'm a fire breathing badass. I can cook simple rabbits." Yang protests against his claims. "...can you at least not be on me? Ya do better when you're at even level with me." Mercury notes. "Of course." Yang got off and would later cuddle with him for a bit, easing him up.

The solar eclipse eventually happened the next day, to which Yang and Ruby were quick to perform the ritual. It was a dance the moved in a circular motion, both moving at opposites direction which closes up when both reached the opposing side of each other. The circle made with their footprints was shined upon when the eclipse ended, opening a gateway for a large gold Dragon to appear. "....Tai Xiao Long!" Yang calls out. "Really? You must be trying to get me in a good mood if you're addressing me by my name. It's good to be here too, Petal and Firecracker." Tai notes. "...Firecracker huh?" Mercury notes. "Dad! That name is soo not cool! I'm not seven you know!" Yang protested. "C'mon now. It suits you." Mercury quipped. "Don't push me Merc. Not now." Yang states. "Fine fine." Mercury agreed. "So are you gonna introduce yourself or am I'm going to waste a solar eclipse by listening?" Tai asked. "Oh right! Dad! This is Mercury Black. My-" Yang was cut by Ruby saying "Boyfriend!" 

"What?!" Tai asked. "Well boyfriend is a strong term. I say I'm...her fiance." Mercury replied. "That's worse!" Tai acknowledged. "Worse for those who even try messing with Yang or me." Mercury quipped quickly. "...aren't you a proud one." Tai remarked. "More like stubborn if you ask me." Yang said. "Easy now Blondie. I can say the same for ya." Mercury chuckled. "Okay. Okay. It's nice to meet you. Just tell me what you two really want?" Tai asked. "Well, Tai, Is it good if we can be married?" Mercury nervously asked. "Ya just called yourself my daughter's fiance and than ask me for her hand? You should really ask her. I ain't marrying you after all." Tai joked. "Ugh...dad. Really?" Ruby groaned. "Well...guess I should be formal about it." Mercury notes. 

"...Yang Xiao Long...wanna be Mrs.Black-Xiao Long?" Mercury asked her. Yang smiled and nodded happily. "Ya better be a good Mr.Black-Xiao Long." Yang quipped back. Mercury pulls her in a kiss. "The best damn one you'll ever see Blondie." Mercury agreed.

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Spring time was something that Mercury didn't expect. At first it was subtle. Yang was ditching some of her heavier clothing, saying her shedding of scales was causing her to be heated. Than it was her new hobby: Ribbon dancing. Mercury notes and watches her practice dances that emphasized her hips and chest while moving around with a ribbon. He was always quick to take a dive in the cold water.

"Hey Merc. Can you get some water for me?" Yang asked. "Sure thing." Mercury pours from the picture a cup of water. Yang thanks him before dumping it on her. "Ahhh...it feels nice~" Yang hummed as the water drips down her body. Mercury blushes more and more as she kept the escalation of erotic actions going. Yang was fixated with certain food that reminded him too much of a certain male body part, and how quick she swallowed it without a gag reflex. "Tasty!" Yang comments. Mercury's boiling point was when she was heading to the springs without much clothing. Mercury was following her, or better yet what his second head was telling him.

At the hot springs, Yang was quick to ditch the towel and dive in the warm water. "Ahh...so tingling..." Yang almost moaned. She knew she was getting heated due to the time of the year. Spring is especially hard on sprits and animals, much more to a hybrid. Both human desires and Dragon cravings ran into her, and she didn't think Mercury was getting the message. She was quick to deny that when she saw him undress and step in. "Yang...you've been ticking me off lately." Mercury tells her. "Hnn...was I getting you mad or riled up." Yang asked. "Both ya cock tease! For one ya were sending mixed signals! And two ya just kept going up! Like Grimm, how many sausages ya went through in a damn day astonishes and agitates me!" Mercury growled. Yang sat on his lap and was quick to move her butt above something rock hard. "Aww...you must've felt so ignored. Don't worry sweetie...I'm giving ya my undivided attention." Yang purrs in his ear. "...ya know I ain't gonna go easy." Mercury quickly states. "I know~ Don't hold back~" Yang agreed and kissed him deeply. Mercury melted into the kiss before the chaotic love making ensued. The whole day was simply spend in the hot springs, both intending to explore and please their partner's bodies. By the time they arrived back, both were drained beyond their limit. "You know...It was nice not being...dominating..." Yang states. "Yeah...just lemme know when ya need to be bent." Mercury wheezes and nuzzled to her body. Yang wraps around him and nuzzled back, as the both fell asleep.

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The morning shines upon the Black-Xiao Long household. The memories of adventure were more centered around two new challenges for the couple. For all the years of their training and their battles, neither were as prepared for a early morning flute playing. The toddler with raven-hair plays his flute for what seemed like forever. "...I'm up! I'm up! Ya wanna wake up the whole neighborhood?" Mercury asked his son, who would waddle and get picked up by him. "Daddy! Daddy! I'm hungry." Their son spoke. "..me too Spike. Lemme get some breakfast made." Mercury notes. "It better have pickles in it." Yang growled. "Sure thing honey." Mercury smirked and petted her. Yang leans into his hand as he did so. He later gets the meal made, as eggs with pickles were cooked on a pan under a premade fire. Mercury sets a plate down for his son. The boy's brown eyes fixated on the meal as he was quick to take a first bite. "Easy there kiddo. Wait for the two of them." Mercury notes. Yang walks into the kitchen with a six month pregnant belly. Her childbearing hips were getting filled by the stomach that kept growing. "Your daughter is gonna kill me Merc. I can't keep pissing in the middle of the night." Yang growled. "Ya mean to tell me you know what the gender was?" Mercury asked. "It's easy for a Dragon to know what he or she's having. Easier if you're the one carrying it." Yang whined. "Easy sweetie. It's only gonna suck for a couple more months." Mercury notes. "You did this to me. You know that." Yang quipped. "And ya didn't mind the rocking banger of a night that time~" Mercury whispered in her ear. Yang blushes. "Mommy? Are you okay?" Spike asked. "...I'm hangry at your father Spike." Yang replied. "Oh. You want my eggs?" Spike offered. "Don't worry sweetie. You finish those eggs your father made. I'll get him to make more." Yang replied. Spike listened to his mother as Mercury made more. 

Later on, Spike was out playing in their back yard while Mercury rubbed and cracked Yang's feet. "Ya know Blondie...I feel like the luckiest man in the world, knowing ya gave me a second chance in life." Mercury notes. "...don't say that Merc. You're gonna make me cry." Yang comments trying to hold back her tears. The hormones was double in a Dragon hybrid. "You know I mean every word of it." Mercury smiled at her and wiped her tears. "Awww." Yang hugs him close. Mercury hugs back. "I love you Merc." Yang states. "I love ya too Blondie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now it's over. Now I'm going to be out for a bit. Till the next project. Take care.

**Author's Note:**

> My goodness. You made it at the end of the chapter. Well, that's honestly really surprising. I hope you found my storytelling somewhat tolerable and not mind infuriating. Either way I appreciate it if you leave a comment and maybe critique (not main me till I become a mangled corpse mind you Wasps! Bumblebees are cool though. They nice.) what I could do to make this better. I want to make this a much enjoyable reading experience as it was writing it. Much Hope's for a better day!
> 
> -J4R0


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